I Found Him On My Doorstep
by myaustraliangentleman
Summary: Toni, is just a girl. What will happen with her and her emotions as some random boy appears on her doorstep, saying that he has to stay with her and her family for a while. Will Toni be okay with that? Will she be okay with his troubled past or the fact that he's famous? A Cody Simpson Fanfic 3
1. There he was

"Toni!" Adam shouted at me, "Give me back the remote!"

"Okay, Okay, Clam your tits, here" I handed them back to him. Brothers. We were watching The Big Bang Theory and it was really starting to get on my nerves. You can only take so much Sheldon Cooper at one time.

I was sitting on the sofa. Hair tied back, no make-up on, sweat and a big hoody and stuffing my face with food. My mum was sleeping. She has to get up for work every morning at six so I can't really blame her. Times were hard. We barely had any money and my mum was out working her but off at two jobs just to put food on the table and sometimes even that wasn't enough. I just wish that there was some way that I could help her but I'm only fifteen and around here I can't get a job until I'm sixteen. Life sucks.

There was a knock at the door. Who could that be? No-one usually comes to my house at this time in the evening and my friends are all at the cinema watching a movie, I had no money to go. Adam got up to go answer the door.

"No, Adam I'll go get it. You don't know who it could be." He sat back down again and I made my way to the front door. I slowly pulled the door back. There standing on my doorstep was a tall, blond haired guy with blue eyes. He looked to be just a little older than me. I'd never seen him before.

"Uhh..Hi, how can I help you?" I asked.

"Hey, my mum says she's friends with a girl that lives here, she's called Melissa, I assume you're her daughter?" he asked. I nodded. "I'm meant to be staying here for a little while...I don't know what's going on really. I was told about this about half an hour ago."

He had a bag slung over his shoulder. I could tell that he was as confused as me. It hit me then, I was standing in front of the hottest guy I've seen in a while and I looked as mess, now i feel really self conscious.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Cody, what's yours?" He replied. I have no idea who this guy is or what he wants. All I know is that his name is Cody and he's got a really attractive Australian accent. Do I really want to tell him my name? I look over his shoulder and see a car still there with who I'm assuming is his mum.

Avoiding the question I ask, "Doesn't your mum not want to come in a talk to my mum?"

"Ehhh" he said while rubbing the back of his neck, "My mum isn't in the best of moods with me"

"Well, okay come in" I said. What am I doing he could be a murderer or a rapist. "Let me go wake my mum up, give me two second, kay?"

I walked into her room and shook her awake, "Mummy there's a kid standing at the door, he says his name is Cody and you are friends with his mum or something.

"Oh yeah, Toni I'm sorry I forgot to tell you. I told Angie that Cody could stay with us for a while. She said that Cody did something, and that she doesn't want to see him for a while so I said he could stay with us. I hope you don't mind."

Oh yeah, mum I don't mind a teenage boy that I barely know walk around my house where I will get no privacy.

"I don't mind Cody staying here, it's just...can we afford to feed another mouth? I ean your already working two jobs..." I asked her. She's already under a lot of stress just to feed us. If she has to feed another person she may have to take on another Job. I don't want to put her through that.

"Toni, don't worry about it, leave it to me. We will pull through, we always do" She sighed.

"Okay Mum" I replied, drained.

Both of us walked out to Cody.

"Hello Cody, I'm Melissa and welcome to our house. Treat it like your own. Have you eaten yet?" Mum asked.

"No, but it doesn't matter" he whispered. He'd over heard our conversation.

"Nonsense, here Toni, there ten pounds. Go to Mc Donald's with Cody." She said. "Cody, just dump your stuff in Toni's room and you can sort it when you get back."

"Come" I said, "I have to get ready before I go anywhere"

He followed me to my room. "Okay, you've got two choices, you can either go watch T.V and make friends with Adam or you can stay here with me but you have to lay face down on the bed because I have to get changed. I swear if you look around once you will not be able to have children."

Where did that confidence come from? I'm not usually like this. He looked kind of uncomfortable.

"Can I stay here? I won't look I swear." He said as he lay down on the bed.

There was an awkward silence while I got changed. Seriously, I met this guy like ten minutes ago and I'm half naked while he's in the same room.

"I'm not trying to be rude but...Why are you here?" Mum had said that he did something but she never mentioned what it was. It took him a minute to answer, trying to get his answer right.

"I fell out with my mum, she sent me here because she 'couldn't stand the sight of me'" he said while doing the speech mark sign with his fingers. I could tell that he was holding back information. I don't blame him. He doesn't trust me. Just like I don't trust him. "To be honest I don't think that I will be going home anytime soon." He must have done some bad shit.

"Okay you can turn around now" I said. He got up and sat in the middle of my bed with his legs crossed. He watched me closely as I did my hair and applied a little bit of make-up. He was silent, he looked deep in thought.

"Can I ask you a question" He asked as I was almost finished.

"You Already have" I teased. May as well have fun, I haven't really had that much male attention but it seemed like a fun idea to tease and joke. Just trying to make it less awkward between us.

He laughed, "Right , can I ask two questions then?"

"You already have" I repeated, trying to keep a straight face.

"God, can I ask four questions?" There we go, this kid was smart.

"Shoot" I said.

"Why do you wear make-up?" He asked. I wasn't expecting that.

"It's a girl thing" I replied. There that's a good answer. Right?

"Well I kind of understood that" he sighed, "Why do girls wear make-up?"

"I guess it just makes you feel less insecure when you go out." I answered truthfully.

"What have you got to feel insecure about?" This conversation was getting a little personal.

"I tell you what" I said "Ask me that at the end of the night once we get to know each other a little better okay?"


	2. Watch Your Mouth Cody

"Sure, sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable" He Said.

"Oh don't worry about it" I smiled, "You coming?"

He nodded and followed me out of the house. The closest Mc Donald's was only two minutes down the road so we walked. We were silent as we went along the road. I didn't mind, it wasn't awkward and it gave us both time to grasp what was happening. I couldn't quite figure out my feelings. The old me would have tore the house down if there was a teenage boy that had to live with me for a while, especially if my mum didn't tell me before he came. Right now I seem to like the idea. He seems like a good kid, and it might be nice to have someone around that I can talk to without it being a family member.

"So your name is Toni?" he asked.

"Uhh yeah, did I not tell you that?" I asked. Nope I didn't.

"No you didn't" he replied. "It's a beautiful name."

"Yeah, I was named after my granda, he was still alive when I was born but he died when I was ten." I whispered.

"Oh Toni I'm sorry" He said barely inaudible. He stopped walking so I did. We looked at each other for a minute.

"Oh don't worry about it, I've had five years to get over it" I said. I started walking and we fell into silence again. I was so close to my granda before he died. He would take me everywhere and people always mistook him for my dad. We kept on walking until we got to Mc Donald's.

"Are you sure that you don't mind paying?" He asked embarrassed, "Cause if I had any money at all I wouldn't be making you pay for this."

"Its okay" Was all I said. He ordered his food and I ordered mine. Mc Donald's was empty at this time of the night. I sat at on of the tables beside the window. Cody had other ideas. He went to sit at one of the kiddies tables.

"What are you doing?" I laughed. He tried to get his legs to fit under the table but it didn't work so he left them out straight.

"Sitting at my table" he said, as if there was nothing wrong with sitting at the kiddie's table. I knew he was only joking though.

"You are a rare child" I said as I walked over to the table and sat across from him. We started to eat our food. We laughed at each other and joked. We asked each other random questions, just so that we could get to know each other more. I was having a good time.

"Mghh" someone cleared their throat. We looked around and saw the manager standing beside us. "And what age might you two be?"

"I'm fifteen" We both said. I looked at him. I could have sworn that he was older than me. I looked back at the manager.

"And do you know that there are age restriction on the kid's table" She said. This woman looked like she took no bullshit.

"No Ma'am, sorry we didn't know. We're finished so we'll leave now." Cody said politely.

"See to it that you do" she walked away. What crawled up her arse and died. As we were walking out I stopped and looked at how much I had left. I had just enough for one McFlurry. Would it be rude if I went and got one while Cody didn't?

"Hey, Cody? Would you mind if I went and got a McFlurry? I've only got enough for one, I'll share it with you if you want." I said. What is wrong with me? I never share food.

"Sure, I love Ice Cream" He said and I laughed at his face. We walked back up to the till.

"Hello, how may I help you?" asked the women.

"Could I have one Mcf-ugh" I grumbled. Cody had out his hand over my mouth for no reason.

"I'm sorry" He said, "She's been having problems speaking properly all day. Could we have a Dairy Milk Mc Flurry please?"

She went off to go get it, "What was that for?" I asked.

"It was funny" Cody stuttered out, trying not to laugh. I jumped on his back and covered his eyes with my hand. He caught me and gave me a piggy back. We were both laughing as the girl came back and I still had my hand over Cody's eyes. I saw that she only had one spoons. Cody Pulled one of my hand off one of his eyes. "Could we have another spoon please?"

"Uhh...Excuse me but who said you were getting any..." I teased.

"Ohh, I am most certainly getting some tonight" he replied. He wasn't paying attention to what he was saying. The girl that was serving us looked horrified.

"Can I ask you guys a question?" she asked.

"Sure, why not" I said.

"Aren't y'all a little young to be doing 'that'" she asked, again, afraid of the answer. It hit me, she thought we were talking about 'it'. Cody still didn't catch on.

"Doing what?" he asked confused, "Eating Ice Cream"

"Omg, no. We weren't talking about 'that'. Cody was saying that he was going to get some of my Ice Cream. Sorry for the confusion." I was so embarrassed right now. Cody thought it was hilarious.

"Here's your other spoon" she said, clearly not amused by us. Cody walked out of Mc Donald's with me still on his back. As we were walking along I was feeding him and myself. We didn't even use the extra spoon.

As we were walking along this middle aged woman walked by us.

"You two are so cute together" She told us. I was stuck for words. Maybe me and cody shouldn't act as close as were are. People think we are dating.

"Oh Ma'am, were not a couple" Cody replied.

"Kid, I'm going to tell you one thing, don't let her slip through your fingers" She walked off. That was awkward. I got off Cody's back and gave him the rest of the Ice Cream. We walked back to my house in silence. This time it was awkward.


	3. I feel Like I've Known You For Years

When we got inside I went to ask my mum where Cody was going to be sleeping.

"Well, I would have thought in your room." She replied. I was horrified, there was no way that there was going to be a boy staying with me in my room for god knows how long. She noticed my facial expression. "Don't give me that face Toni. You know that Adam's room is too small and he can't stay in my room because...that's just not how things work."

"But, I'm a girl I need my space!" I shout whispered. Thank the Lord Cody had went to watch T.V and make friends with Adam.

"Well, your just going to have to put up with it, he can sleep on the bed that pulls out from under yours. I've already put the sheets on it while you were away. Look, he's not staying here forever, just a little while. Surely you can at least manage that."

"Yeah Mum, fine. It's not you that has to share your room for however long it may be, so it obviously wouldn't bother you." I said walking out of the room.

"Less of the attitude Toni" Mum called after me. I went to get Cody. I found him in Adam's room playing COD on The Playstation. Adam was kicking his ass. "Yo, you come help me get your stuff unpacked."

"Me?" he asked.

"Yes you now get your arse in gear" I said and walked out into my room. Cody followed. I lay down on my bed while he unzipped his bag.

"Where should I put all of this?" he asked. I pointed to the bottom draw of my set of draws. He didn't have a lot in that bag so it would all fit. "So, does that mean that I'm staying in your room while I'm here?"

"Yes" I replied bluntly. Trying to make it clear that I was not thrilled with the idea of him staying in my room. "You can put your stuff in there and there's a bed under my bed where you can sleep." I got up and pulled the bed out to show him.

"I take it you don't really like the idea of me sleeping here" I wasn't a question. It was a statement. It was as if he could read my mind. I didn't answer because I didn't need to. We were silent as he unpacked his bag. I felt really bad. Here I am being really blunt with Cody. He didn't deserve it, he'd been pretty much kicked out of his house and I was giving him a hard time. I guess it wouldn't be so bad to try and make the most of it.

"I'm sorry Cody" I whispered. He lay down on my bed and faced me. "I don't mean to be rude, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. So many things have changed in the last hour."

"I understand, it's a lot to take in." He was so understanding. I've always had this image in my head that all guys are selfish and don't give a shit about anyone else. Cody is changing my opinion of them. They can be sweet, funny and caring. I have feeling that Cody and I are going to be good friends.

"Where do you live?" I asked.

"Well I'm from Australia, as you can probably tell. My mum and dad have a house over on the other side of town. I only moved here a couple of weeks ago from LA. I start school on Monday although I don't have my uniform since my mum shoved me out the door as quick as she could. I didn't get a chance to bring it with me."

"You used to live in America?" I asked. "You've travelled a long way to get here well. What school are you starting?"

"Dominican College? I think it's called." He said "And yeah America. I only lived there for three years though. Things just got too much over there so my mum, dad and scoot- forget that last name...but yeah mum and dad decided it might be better to move somewhere smaller and quieter."

I knew that he was holding back information. I guess I just need to earn his trust before he tells me the full story. "That's my school" I said ignoring his last sentences.

"Really? You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that. I hate showing up at a new school and not knowing anyone." He sighed. I could tell that he was nervous about starting a new school. Who wouldn't be?

We stayed up for ages talking to each other. I feel like I've known Cody all my life. He's so easy to talk to and I feel comfortable around him. He makes me feel happy. What is happening to me? I've known the kid all of four hours.

I was getting tired. "I'm putting my pyjamas on. Turn around and don't look" He smirked and faced the wall.

"Oh don't worry I would like to keep my unborn children thank you very much." He chuckled. I laughed to.

"Okay I'm done" I said. I lay back down on the bed as he got up. He started taking his shirt off.

"Woah, at least wait until I turn around" I said, although I stayed where I was.

"Why? I'm not ashamed of my body so why would I care if you see it." Oh cocky are we. He continued to take his clothes of.

"Who said that I wanted to see it?" I teased. I couldn't take my eyes of him.

"If you didn't want to see it you would have turned around by now" he replied smugly. All he put on was pyjama shorts. No top. He pulled the bed out and got in.

"Night Toni." Cody whispered.

"Night Cody" I replied but he was already asleep. All I could here was my heartbeat. Did he really have that affect on me? No, he couldn't have. I couldn't sleep knowing that he was lying in my room. I tossed and turned. I couldn't get comfortable. I turned over once more. I went too far.

I landed on top of Cody. He groaned.

"Oh my god I'm sorry! Are you okay?" I shout whispered.

"Yeah fantastic" Cody laughed although I could tell that he was still in pain. "Are you?"

"Yeah I couldn't sleep. I turned around too far and fell out of my bed. Here I am." I laughed embarrassed.

"Do you want to sleep here?" he asked half asleep.

"Would you mind?" I asked.

"No, not at all" he whispered.

"Thank you Cody" he was asleep again. This time when I tried to go to sleep I succeeded.


	4. You don't Even Care do You?

I woke up the next morning to find Cody still snoring. I chuckled and got up to go get breakfast, I'll wake him up later.

"I just don't know what to do with him anymore" I heard an Australian accent say as I walked out to the kitchen. "He doesn't listen to me or Brad. He seems to do whatever he wants when he wants..."

"Well... he's been as good as gold with me" replied my mum. How would she know? She's only spoke to the kid once.

"Oh he's not even been here 24 hours. Just you wait." the Australian voice said.

"We'll leave it for a week or two, Angie you know he can stay here for as long as you want. You were my only friend when I had none, I owe you." My mum whispered the last part. My mum has never been out of the country. How could she have met this girl called Angie? What is Angie not the name of Cody's mum? I walked on out to the kitchen where mum and Angie were sitting at the table with a cup of coffee each. They both froze as I walked in.

"Toni, Darling this is Angie Simpson. Cody's mum." My mum introduced us.

"It's nice to meet you" I said politely as I poured myself and Cody a bowl of cereal. They continued talking but this time it wasn't about Cody. I went to go wake him up.

"Codyyyy" I said in a sing-song voice.

"Yes, Eva?" He replied. Who's Eva? He was still asleep. I played along.

"I made breakfast Codykins" He groaned. Please tell me he's not having a wet dream. I didn't even want to know so I jumped on top of him. He groaned again, this time in pain.

"What was that for?" Cody shouted at me. I laughed.

"You were having a wet dream" I replied matter of factly. "Who's Eva?"

"Oh My God. Did you hear that?" He was embarrassed now. "Ummm...Eva Longoria?"

"That girl out of Desperate Housewives? Isn't she a little old?" I asked.

"Age is just a number baby." He laughed.

"Omg, get you but out here. I got you breakfast and it's probably soggy by now" I said.

"Oh so the breakfast thing was real" he said more to himself than to me. I rolled my eyes. We walked out into the hallway. Angie and mummy were still talking.

"Who's that?" Cody asked. I didn't reply. He already knew who it was. As soon as we got to the kitchen and Cody seen his mum he turned around and headed in the opposite direction of her. She didn't let him off with it.

"Cody Simpson. You get back here right now!" she demanded. He stopped. Even I was scared.

"What?" he replied, but in away that meant 'leave me the fuck alone'. I haven't seen this side of him yet.

"Come here" this time her voice wasn't so menacing. Cody walked over to her. I could tell that he didn't want to be anywhere near her.

"I thought you sent me here so that you wouldn't have to see me, so that you wouldn't have to talk to me." He said, he was quite clearly annoyed with her.

"You have no right to talk to me like that. I sent you here for your own good. I'm trying to help you and all you can do is throw it back in my face. You are being so rude and disrespectful to me and to Melissa and her family. Look at you. You haven't even been here for a full day and you're already walking around like you own the place, with no shirt on. I thought me and your father raised you better. We taught you the right way to act when around female company. I guess that it just goes to show that you couldn't care less about us." She had finished her rant. A mothers words can really cut you in two. I could tell by Cody's face that she had just shattered him.

"There you go again. Picking on every little thing I do wrong. Do you really expect me to be perfect? Because I sure as hell don't expect you to be. No one is. I've just woken up, that is why I have no shirt on. Maybe you should at least get to know all the details before you start criticising me. But then again you've always done it, so why change now. You always say that I couldn't care less about you, dad or Alli and Tom, But you should know that I would give my life up for any of you. Yes I may have done some bad things nut you are supposed to try and work through them but all you do is dump me with someone else as soon as things start getting hard. You're a world class mum." He walked off. A son's word to his mother hurt too. Angie was hurt too, she was fighting back tears. She got up and walked out, mum followed her.

I didn't feel like eating anymore. I left our two bowls of mushed up cereal on the bench and went to find Cody.


	5. Do you still Trust me?

I walked around my house looking everywhere for Cody. Where could he be? It's not as if my house is all that big. The only place left was the bathroom. I tried to open the door but it was locked. I felt really bad. He had no where else to go but the bathroom. He's got no where to go, no one he can talk to. His mum has just dumped him here. I never really thought about how he was taking it until now.

"Cody? Are you in there?" I asked.

"Yeah" he mumbled.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I called through the door.

"Um, not really..." his voice cracked. He was really upset.

"Come on Cody, I can help you. You can trust me. I'm not going to leave you when you need me or desert you when things get hard. I'm going to be there for you. I'm not going to be like your mum." I said all in one breathe. It was true though, I wasn't going to leave him. He needs someone and I'm going to be that someone that he can confide in.

I heard the bathroom door unlock, "Do you promise?" Cody whispered to me. Hid eyes were red and puffy. He'd been crying.

"Of course" I pulled him into a hug. I feel as if I've known this boy all of my life when I haven't even known him for a day. We stayed like this for a while.

"Go get dressed, we're going out today to have fun. Screw everyone else." That made him smile.

"Thank you Toni." He said.

"What for?" I asked. "I'm only trying to be a good friend."

"And a good friend you are" he replied while getting his clothes out of the bottom draw as I got mine out of the wardrobe.

"Do you mind if I change here?" I asked slowly, "I don't even care if you see me anymore"

"No. It's okay. You can stay here and I'll go to the bathroom. Have to give a lady her privacy" he smirked. It was almost as if what happen ten minutes ago never happened. He took his clothes into the bathroom and I got changed, fixed my hair and put on some make-up.

Cody knocked the door. "You don't need to knock, this room is basically yours now too" I said.

"I just wanted to make sure you were decent" He replied.

"Like I said, I don't care if you see me now." Why have I suddenly got a change of heart.

"Since when, last night you basically told me that you would cut my balls of if I looked while you were changing" he said and lay down on the bed while I finished putting my make-up on.

"Well...you weren't embarrassed to show me your body...so why should I be embarrassed if you see mine...I feel like I can trust you." I said almost trying to convince myself rather than him.

"I'm glad that you trust me because I trust you too, I know that you're going to be there for me, no matter what" he replied. That just made me smile. "And you have no reason to be ashamed of your Body anyways"

How did I feel about that, if it was anyone other than Cody I would be like 'Get to fuck, you are not seeing my Body'. This boy is changing me.

"Come on" I said.

"Mum we're going out" I shouted.

"Keep in touch" she replied as we passed her and Angie. I felt Cody tense beside me.

"Glad to see you out some clothes on Cody." Angie said, not even looking at him. I don't know what it was that Cody has done to make his mum this mad, but I don't think that you could be this cold whit your child, no matter what they have done. I ignored her.

"I will mum, bye, Love you." I said to her as I walked out the door. Cody followed behind me, slamming the door behind him.

"Woah, calm down. Don't let her get to you." I soothed and grabbed his hand. He immediately squeezed it. His eyes were watering again. We walked in silence and I gave him time to clam down.

As we passed a park I said, "You know what I'm such a bid kid that I can't even pass a swing without having a go." I broke free from his hand and ran towards the swing. I was almost there when I felt him run straight past me. He got there first.

"No fair I called dibs" I yelled, finally getting there. He was already sitting on the swing. I got up onto the other one which was higher. I failed miserably and fell of it. He just laughed.

"We have to go to school tomorrow" I groaned.

"Don't worry babe, now you've got my pretty face to look at all day" he replied. Back to acting the way he normally does. What were Lily and Peter going to say when I told them all about this weekend? Oh My God they are going to freak.

"Take a picture with me?" I asked.

"Come here then" he replied. I walked over to him and sat on his lap and got my phone out.

"Smile" I said and pressed the button. I turned it around to look at it. It was a really good one. He was looking at me while I looked at the camera. At least I looked half decent.

"You're beautiful" he said and immediately closed his mouth. He blushed. I blushed.

"Thank you" I replied. "Is it okay if I put it on Facebook?"

"No, please don't" he said a little too quickly.

"Why not?" I asked. Did he have something against Facebook or something.

"There's something I have to tell you." He said. Was I going to like what he was going to say? I could tell that it wasn't going to be good. Well, at least now I'm getting the details that he's been keeping from me. He was telling the truth when he said that he trusts me.


	6. Yes

He was silent. Trying to figure out how to tell me.

"Toni, you might not believe me when I say this but...I'm famous. I'm Cody Simpson the 'Teen Pop Sensation' from Australia. The singer who gets managed by the same guy as Justin Bieber. I'm the Cody Simpson that wishes that he could rewind time and not put that video on Youtube." He said gently. He braced himself for my reaction. I stayed quiet. "Say something?"

"What do you want me to say Cody? You're famous so what, I'm not going to treat you any differently." I replied. Was that the truth? Did I really care if he was famous? "I don't get it though. Why are you here? Should you not be back in America loving the life of being a celebrity?"

"Well the thing is, I hated it. I hated being followed by the paps, I hated having girls scream at me everywhere I went. I mean I was no-where near as big as Justin Bieber but I had nearly three million followers on twitter. They were all my Angels. One night I was out with Alli at some party. I don't even remember whose it was. Some random dude came up to me and started shit talking about my family. I couldn't stand it so I hit him but I didn't just stop their. All my frustration from being famous had just been build up more and more so I took it all out on that one guy." He explained to me.

"Wow Cody, I didn't think it was that bad. I knew there was something up with you but I didn't think of anything like this." I whispered. He laughed but it wasn't out of humour.

"That's not the end of it though." I stayed silent while he continued, "Little did I know that someone was recording the whole thing. It was sold to the press for near a million dollars or something like that. People automatically assumed that I'd done it for no reason, they didn't know the full story. Everything just spiralled out of control from then on."

Did I really want to hear anymore? Yes, he trusts me enough to tell me so I'm going to listen and be there for him.

"I was considered as a Brat who got what they wanted when they wanted. At the start I hated it. I started getting depressed when one day I just snapped. I thought that if I was being accused of being someone then I may as well live up to it. I started going out every night by myself. Going into clubs, making sure that I got my picture taking with a drink in my hand and acting drunk. Sound pathetic when I hear it out loud. There was some night though when I did take a drink of it, I decided to make it believable I had to drink more and more until I really did get drunk. When I got home that night my mum nearly passed out from anger." I could tell that he was ready to cry again.

"You don't have to tell me anymore if you don't want to." I soothed.

"Nope, I started so I'm going to finish" he stated, "My mum wouldn't talk to me for weeks and it made me even more depressed so I went out and got drunk again and again. Even though I was underage people didn't do anything about it. I was told that scooter was giving me up because I was giving him and Justin a bad image. They decided that we going to start fresh and move here. It didn't really work. I carried on getting drunk because it was the only thing that could relieve me of my own mind. This time it was my mum that snapped and this is how you ended up with me. She dumped me here without even a second thought" Now the tears we streaming down his face.

I didn't realise that we had both moved from the swing and were sitting against the wall beside the swing set. I didn't know what to say.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, "You've done nothing wrong" he wiped the tears from my face, I hadn't realised that I was crying.

"Sorry" I said and moved into the crock under his arm, it was starting to get cold. We sat there for god knows how longs. I couldn't wrap my head around it. Cody the singer? Cody the Drunk? Cody the sweet guy that is sitting beside me now?

"I'm insecure about my weight, my body, my hair and my personality. Everything in general really." I blurted out.

"What are you talking about?" Cody asked confused.

"You asked me last night what it is I'm insecure about and I told you that I'd tell you once we know each other better. Well here I am answering you question." I replied.

"Aww babe" he said pulling me closer to him, "You've got nothing to feel insecure about. You're beautiful. Don't let anyone tell you different."

"So much for our day of fun" I stated.

"Toni, we could be pulling each others organs out and I'd still have fun with you." He laughed. All tears had cleared up and I was hoping that it would stay that way.

"We should probably go home" I said, "We've got school tomorrow and it's getting dark."

We walked home hand in hand. I opened the door once we got there.

"Mum we're home. Is Angie still here?" I asked not wanting to know the answer.

"Hey Darling, no she left about an hour ago." She replied, "Oh and Cody she brought your uniform over for school tomorrow. Lucky you've got a friend for tomorrow" she winked. She saw our hand entwined and gave me a look. I ignored her.

"I'm going to the shower be out in ten minutes" I said.

Ugh, why does she have to make it awkward? There was nothing going on between me and Cody. He was almost like a bestfriend already. I got out and walked into my room with just a towel around me. There Cody was on my laptop.

"You're turn for the shower" i said. He got up and walked to the bathroom, "Towels are in the hot press."

I got changed into my pyjamas and noticed that Cody was logged into Twitter. I couldn't help myself I looked at his mention. Some of them were awful, people giving him death threats, some saying he was the worst role model for teenagers. I couldn't take it I thumped the laptop shout and threw it from me just as Cody walked in the door.

"Hey, hey what's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, it doesn't matter" I said, "It's really cold in here I'm going to put the heating on."

I got out of there before he could ask me anymore questions. "Mum, can I put the heating on?"

"Umm...Toni...I couldn't afford to get any this month..." she shouted back.

"It's okay mum, I'll just out another jumper on." I replied, not wanting her to stress. I walked back into my room to see that Cody was already lying in his bed. I got into mine.

"Night Cody", I whispered.

"Night Toni, Love you." He replied but he was already half asleep. Wait? Did he know that he said that? Did he mean that? No, he probably just means it in a friendly way. Yes, that's it. I don't like him in that way. He's just my best friend.


	7. I Need You

My alarm went off a 7am the next day. I was lying against something which I thought was the wall. When I opened my eyes I saw that Cody was beside me. Hold on a minute. Did I fall out of my bed last night again? No I'm in my own bed. I shook him awake.

"Cody, it's time to get up. We've got school today." I said.

"Noooo." He said. Clearly not a morning person. I pushed him out of my bed and he landed on his own.

"Toniiii" he said in the same voice. He just lay there.

"Cody, I'm going to start changing. Just giving you the heads up." I said and got out of the bed and started to take my pyjamas off. After yesterday I didn't really care. We both opened up to each other. I was just about finished putting my uniform on when I turned around and saw Cody staring at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Tell me again why you feel insecure about your body? Because you have no need to be." He said. I blushed.

"Get up and get your clothes on" I said. He smiled. I made my bed and his bed while he changed, trying to keep my eyes of him.

So, Cody tell me how you ended up in my bed?" I asked a hint of smirk in my voice.

"Well...umm...it was really cold last night and I hate the cold...so...Umm...Yeah" that was his answer.

"Sure, that's why." I replied, clearly teasing him. He just laughed. He's finished getting dressed. It was quite warm outside so he'd rolled the sleeves of the white shirt up to his elbow and didn't bother putting his jumper on. He just left it there so I put it in his over the shoulder schoolbag.

'Night Toni, Love you' what? Why did that just pop into my head. I pushed it aside as I made toast with jam for me, Adam and Cody for breakfast. Mum had already left for work.

"Here" I said eat up. We all ate our food and got our stuff and waited outside for the bus.

"So, where is our school?" asked Cody.

"It's in the next town beside us" I said. "Don't worry it's only like five miles."

The bus finally got here and we all got on. I immediately spotted Lily and Peter at the very back.

"Hey Guy's" I greeted them and sat in the seat in front and turned around to see them. Cody sat beside me. The look on their faces said it all. They never thought that they'd see a hot guy following me like a puppy and that was basically what Cody was doing. I don't care though. He's like my best friend now. He turned around to introduce himself to Peter and Lily.

"Hi, I'm Cody Simpson." He stuck his hand out and shook their hands. They still couldn't speak.

"That is Lily" I said pointing to her. "And that is Peter "

"Hi" they both said. Really?

"Toni! Since when have you got a hot guy watching your every move?" Lily asked. She's just straight to the point. That's what I like about her.

"Umm...Since Saturday night." I replied.

"And why?" asked Peter. He was my only guy friend. I loved him to bits.

I looked at Cody. Should I tell them the real reason? He gave me a look. I guess that's a no then. What do I say?

"Cool guys. Loving how you're so polite towards him." I said.

"Well my mum knows Toni's mum and my family are going away for a while and I couldn't go so Toni's mum agreed to let me stay with them until they get back." Cody explained smoothly. He saved my life. They looked confused but nodded anyway. We both turned back around not wanting to be asked anything else and joked the whole way to school. Acting like how we've been acting all weekend. I think that Lily and Peter were shocked. There's a new person in the group.

It was lunch time. I'd told Cody where to meet us to eat since we don't eat in the cafeteria, it was too crowded. I'd just left English which was the only class that I didn't have with Cody.

"Boo" he said coming to sit beside me even though I could clearly see him walking up the stairs towards us.

"How's your first day going so far?" I asked. Peter and Lily were both in their own conversation. Probably about Cody. They don't seem to like him very much.

He laughed "Well, I got told of by Mrs. Donaghy for not having any books even though it's not my fault. Mr Ramsay seems nice although he made stand up in front of the class and introduce myself. Some random girl must have known about me. She asked in front of everyone if I was famous. Of course I laughed and told her she was crazy and that I'm just a normal person. Oh and I've been asked out three times.

"Wow, you've had more action in this school in three hours than I have in four years." I said."Three times?"

"Out of everything I said you ask me about that?" he replied in disbelief. "Just eat"

We began eating. I couldn't wait to get home. It's near the end of the school year so I won't have any homework tonight. Thank the Lord, I get to rest tonight.

"Can we do something tonight? I don't want to sit around, I'm too restless." He asked. Well there goes my plan. Peter and Lily had stopped talking to each other and were listening to us.

"If you really want too. There's not a lot to do around here." I replied.

"Even if we go for a walk or something I don't mind." I knew he was looking for something to take his mind of his mum.

"Why would you want to go for a walk" Peter asked "Boringggg" he said pulling out the 'G'.

"Why wouldn't I? Walking is good for you and it can help clear your mind." Cody said.

"What have you got to think about? Pretty Boy like you has nothing to worry about unless it's about getting their next shag. I guess Toni's the next on your list huh?" Peter spat. Cody looked at the ground but didn't say anything.

"Peter...Why are you saying this? You know nothing about him or what he's been through." I said calmly to him.

"What? And you do?" Peter asked. "You've known him for how long? Since Saturday night, right? And you think you know everything about him."

"No, I don't know everything about him but I know a hell of a lot more than you do." I shouted at him. Cody was just sitting there. Saying nothing. Why?

I got up and grabbed Cody's hand not wanting to be in their company anymore. I dragged him down the stairs and outside and sat him on the bench. He still wouldn't look up. I knelt down in front of him.

"Cody? How come you didn't defend yourself?" I asked. He still didn't look at me.

"I was afraid that it would happen all over again" he whispered. So that is why. I sat down beside him and brought him into a hug.

"That's never going to happen again Cody. Not while you're with me. I promise." I whispered back.

That was all he needed to send him into sobs. "No-one has ever been here for me like you have Toni."


	8. I like the Dark

He was like a Robot for the rest of the day. He didn't speak, he didn't do anything but just stare into space. I didn't even bother speaking to either Peter or Lily.

Once we got home we dumped our stuff at the front door and he headed straight for our room. Wait? Our Room? I guess that's what it was now. Adam had football practice and mum was at her second job. I decided to give him some room and went to watch T.V. People seriously need to wise up and realise that they can't just do things like that. I was furious with Peter.

I got my laptop and logged onto Facebook.

"Today has made me realise who my real friends are" I posted. A couple of people liked it but they'll never know the story behind it. Cody was a real friend. He is here for me just like I am for him.

I made my way to my room and lightly tapped the door. He didn't answer so I walked on in. There he was lying on the bed sleeping. His face looked so peaceful through the puffiness that today's events had caused. I lay down beside him wanting too, to be peaceful for a couple of hours. I rolled into his warmth and I got my wish

I woke up to see that it was dark outside. How long was I asleep? I got up and walked into the kitchen to realise that the house was really quiet. What's going on?

"Yewwwww" I heard coming from the living room. "I ran in to see my Mum, Adam and Cody all cheering at something on TV.

"I see your all bonding." I stated. "Thanks for waking me up" I shot a Cody. Not in a harsh way.

"You looked at peace...I didn't want to ruin it." He replied eyes glued to the TV. It's as if he read my mind when I watched him sleeping.

"What are you watching?" I asked. As soon as the question was out of my mouth the T.V flickered black and all the lights went off. "What happened I asked?" The streetlights are still on.

"Oh..." I heard mummy say. "I knew I had forgotten something."

"What is it mum?" I asked, trying to make my way over to her but I couldn't see her.

"I forgot to pay for the electricity bill this month, they've cut us off. I don't have enough money to cover it now either." She sighed.

"I'll pay for it if you want?" Cody piped up. Huh?

"Oh Darling you don't have to do that?" Mummy replied.

"No seriously. Did my mum not give you any money at all for me? Is that not a bit rude? Just dumping someone on you and not evening helping you money wise. She's worse than I thought." Cody said to my mum.

"Sweetheart I really don't mind. Don't stress over it. I'm sure someone of your age doesn't have a lot of money anyway." Oh but that's where you're wrong. She mustn't know about Cody being famous.

"I'll go home tomorrow and get some, I've got more than you think." I could tell that Cody was not ready to give up this fight.

"Well...okay then..." she said slowly.

"Is it okay if I go during school because, mum and dad will be at work...I don't really want to face my mum yet. Not after yesterday."

"I don't know about letting you skip school. It's not right..." she realised that Cody was going to do it even if she said no. "Okay fine...Toni...you go with him. Seriously Cody you really know how to persuade a person. Time for bed."

Her and Adam left the living room and went to bed. I sat down on the sofa beside Cody and swung my legs over his lap.

"You need to tell me your secret. I could never get her to let me skip school." I said exasperated.

"It's all in the charm" he replied smugly. Even in the dark I could tell that he had a smirk on his face. I laughed and we fell into a comfortable silence. He set his hand down on my leg and started drawing patterns on my skin. I had fallen asleep in my uniform so it was all wrinkled. So was his. We looked a mess. Even though it was dark I could tell. We stayed on that sofa for a while talking. Just talking about random stuff that had no meaning.

"Do I seem like I'm a bad person?" Cody asked.

"Uhhh...No" I said in a 'Duh' voice. "Where did that come from?"

"Well...What Peter said today. Do I really come across like that? A Pretty boy that only wants one thing..." he asked. Seriously every time I get him to stop thinking about all this stuff someone reopens the wound and spurs vinegar over it.

"Cody. Don't pay attention to Peter or Lily. There just jealous that I've got another friend. It's always just been us three. I guess their just scared that if I start getting closer to you then I won't have time for them anymore. Quite frankly I am furious with the both of them." I explained to him. This was not the way that I expected them to react to Cody. I thought that they would have welcomed him with open arms. Hoe naive can you be?

"Come" I said, "Bed"

We got up and made our way to my room while trying not to trip over the things that we couldn't see. I crashed onto my bed while he pulled his out. Oh I still have to get my pyjamas on. I got up and started stripping. Cody did to only this time he didn't bother putting any pyjama shorts on he just lay in bed with his underwear on. I got into bed and yawned. You'd think after sleeping earlier I wouldn't be tired, but I was.

"Night Cody." I whispered.

"Night Toni, Love you." This time I was sure that he was awake to say it. Should I say it? It'd only be in a best friend sort of way right?

"Love you too."


	9. Norbit?

"Toni, it'll be fine. I used to do this all the time in the US." Cody tried to calm me but it wasn't working. Yes Cody, that was you in the US not me. I have never skipped school and I'm not very optimistic about the idea. We were walking through the town to get to his house, it felt weird to be here when it was this empty because everyone was at school and work.

"Easy for you to say. Like you keep saying you've done stuff like this before I haven't..." I replied trying not to lose my temper with him. "Can we get food before we leave the town? I'm so hungry."

"Do you have money? Don't...well not yet anyway." He asked.

"Yeah I've got enough for both of us." We carried on walking until we got to a small hometown cafe called The Big O. They did the best food and it was cheap which a plus was also. My mum used to work here before she got another job that paid a little more money so I knew the girls that worked there quite well.

As I opened the door I heard the familiar tinkle of the chimes so that they would know they have anew customer. I showed him to the booth that I always sat in and he sat across the table from me, I have so many memories here, with Peter and Lily, my family and my first boyfriend Ronan.

"Hello there, what can i- Oh Toni I didn't even recognize you there. Gosh you've grown up so much" Marianne doted over me. I blushed not used to the attention. "And who's this strapping young lad."

"Hey Marianne this is Cody" I said looking at him embarrassed by her. It's not that I'm ashamed of her it's just she's a little annoying but has the biggest heart.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you" Cody stuck out his hand and shook hers. She looked surprised that a teenage boy could be so polite. She turned to look at me.

"He's a keeper" she winked, my mouth fell open. "Close you mouth dear you might catch flies. Now, what can I get ya?"

I still couldn't speak so Cody spoke for me. "Can we have a plate of French fried please, with two diet cokes?"

"Coming right up" Marianne said as she walked away. I finally regained my composure. Cody was trying his hardest not to laugh at me.

"Is it really that hard to believe that in a way we do act like a couple and that's why people think we are." Cody said. I had never really thought that we were like that, but were just friends and nothing more. Can people not see that?

"Why what is it that we do?" I asked.

"Well since I turned up at your doorstep on Saturday night we haven't been apart from each other for more than a couple of hours and even then we were in the same building." Cody explained.

"I wouldn't have it any other way to be quite honest, You're a big part of my life now. You are my best friend, why would I want to be away from you?" I asked. As I was saying it I realised that it was true. I don't want Cody to be anywhere except beside me, that way I can keep an eye on him too.

"Aww, Love you too." Wait what? Oh he means in a friend way. I need to stop taking it in the wrong way, I'm going to give myself a heart attack. Marianna came back with our chips and drinks and we began eating.

I started thinking about all the things that could go wrong today. Again. What if one of the teachers see us? What if we get caught by Cody's mum or dad? Will they accuse us of stealing? Will they never want to see Cody ever again because of my family? I need to calm down, non eof that's going to happen, at least I hope it doesn't.

"You ready?" asked Cody snapping me out of my thoughts. We had finished eating and he payed Marianne with the money I had set on the table.

"Uhh..Yeah, Bye Marianne" I shouted up the cafe.

"Bye sweetie. Oh and remember to use protection." She winked again. She did not just say that. Everyone that was in the small cafe turned to look at us some in disgust and some trying to hold back their laughter. I grabbed Cody's hand and dragged him out of there, he couldn't stop laughing.

"Seriously" I scolded. "That's all you can do is laugh. She's so embarrassing."

"Oh come on, it's not that bad, she's only joking." He laughed. Ha, that's what you think. Cody lead the way to his house, it was further away than he lead me to believe. I don't like walking at the best of times but considering this is to help my mum I think I can do it for her.

Finally we got there. The house was pretty big but then again what did I expect. He is a famous singer in America why wouldn't he have a big house.

We walked up the path and he unlocked the door.

"Ahh Good, there's no one in" he looked relieved. I was overjoyed at the fact that we wouldn't get caught by his scary mother.

"Thank the Lord, where is your room?" I asked.

"Now why would I show you my room? It's not like you've ever done anything for me" he said in a serious tone. Excuse me? The question would be what have I not done for you?

"What? Cody I have done everything for you! I have taken you into my home. I've let you sleep in my room. I've let you cry on my shoulder. Seriously if this is how you're going to treat me then you can just go fu-" He cut me off laughing.

"Language" Cody laughed. He was joking with me the whole time. Cunt. I glared at him.

"That was not funny" I growled although I couldn't stay mad at him it would have been kind of funny to see my face.

"No you're right...It was hilarious." He laughed more. I unwillingly smiled.

"Oh my gosh just show me your room" I exclaimed. I followed him upstairs to his room. Inside it was big, bigger than my room. His walls were painted a sea blue colour and on one wall he has the sea painted on it. He had his guitars dotted all over the room and I must admit it was kind of messy. I'm not one to talk, it looks as if a bomb had gone off in my room. I'm surprised he hasn't commented on it yet and then again what do you expect of a teenage boy?

I stood at his door taking in his surrounding while he walked around his room trying to find something. I went over to his bed and lay on it beside a deep mahogany guitar it was beautiful. I picked it up and started strumming a random tune. Cody suddenly looked up.

"I didn't know that you played." He said still distracted looking for whatever it was he was looking for.

"Yeah. My Granda taught me how to play. I used to have my own guitar and everything until after he died. I got so frustrated and mad at the world that I smashed it up and I just haven't gotten a new one." I explained. Cody looked up at me, he knew that talking about my granda was a touchy subject.

"Well...you can have that one if you want. Aha, found it!" he exclaimed. In his hand he was holding a small square box that you would expect someone to hold family pictures or something along those lines in it. He opened it up and it was overflowing with money and he started taking handfuls out and putting it into the pocket of a guitar case.

"Here put Norbit in there." He said without thinking.

"Norbit?" I asked laughing. He flushed red.

"Yeah...I gave my guitars names." He said quietly trying to return the subject to getting out of here.

"Cody? What are you doing here? Who's this?"


	10. I'm done Have a good life

I turned to look at the unfamiliar female voice standing at Cody's bedroom door. He jumped not expecting her to be here. Both of us just stayed silent and continued to stare at her. Who is this? She had long blonde hair, blue eyes and looked the double of Cody.

"Well?" she said starting to get annoyed. I didn't know what to say but Cody finally got himself together.

"Alli, I'm getting some money. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?" he asked staring her down. So that was her name Alli, is she his sister? Well they look too much alike not to be siblings.

"I'm sick so mum let me take the day off" she said. Now when I get a proper look at her she looked sick. Her nose was red, her eyes were puffy, she looked like she needed sleep and had a blanket wrapped around her body. "I could ask you the same question?"

"I..." Cody didn't know how to explain himself so I jumped in.

"He's just helping me and my family." I said quietly.

"And who are you?" she asked not giving me time to answer she looked back at Cody. "Why are you doing this here? Why are you skipping school again? Why are you bringing back random girls whose name you don't even know just so you can fuck them? I thought you left all that behind Cody? Look at you. You're a mess. I guess you were out last night again huh? Getting drunk? Going Whitey? Your eyes are all puffy and your face a mess so I'm guessing both. And now you're stealing. I'm not doing this here Cody. I'm tired of being here to pick you up whenever you fall down, I just don't have the strength anymore."

She had tears streaked down her face by the time she had finished. Cody just stood there and took it, he didn't snap back at his sister the way he did with his mum. He made sure he finished before he started.

"Alli, no I wasn't out last night. This is Toni." He said pointing to me. He looked squashed by her words. "Her family was the one that mum dumped me with. Melissa, Toni's mum doesn't have enough money to take care of her own as well as me so I'm going to help her out."

They were both quiet for a minute.

"Why do I not believe that?" Asked Alli. "I don't have any trust in you anymore Cody. For all I know everything you just said was a lie. Toni probably isn't even her name, you've just made on up because you can't remember. For all I know you could be taking this money to go out and spend it on getting drunk and high just like you did in America. For all I know you brought this skank back here to fuck so you can add her to your list. I'm done Cody. Have a nice life."

She walked back to her room and slammed the door shut. I was still sitting on his bed with the guitar in my lap. I looked over to see him sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. I'll deal with him later.

"You should go talk to her." I said. "I'll finish putting everything in here" I pointed to the guitar case."

He got up and left his room in silence. I could here her in her room crying.

It hasn't registered in my mind yet, all of the things that Alli said are they true? Is Cody not a virgin? How many girls are on his list? What 'Going Whitey'? He's gotten high? I knew he skipped school because he told me but he didn't say what he did when he wasn't at school. Do I really believe all of this? He doesn't seem like the kind of guy to do all of that stuff. But why would his sister lie about it all.

I heard them softly talking in her room. I hope everything's okay between them I don't want to ruin a brother and sister relationship. I heard footstep walk on the carpet behind me. I looked around and saw Cody there his tears had re-stained his cheeks from the night before. I immediately gave him a hug, he held me as tightly as he could, almost like if he held me looser I'd run away.

"You okay?" I asked. I knew that he wasn't but I didn't know if he wanted to talk about it. I still had a lot of questions to ask him but didn't want to force him to answer them.

He just nodded, grabbed the guitar case and walked out of his room waiting for me to follow. I guess that's a no then. He was halfway down the stairs but I couldn't leave without seeing if Alli was okay. I knocked on her door but she didn't answer so I walked in. There she was lying on her bed, her cheeks still wet. I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and began to write:

Dear Alli,

I know that I'm probably the last person you want to hear from but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for barging into your house. I didn't know there was so much stuff between you and your brother. I just wanted to say that I'm not a 'Skank' that he brought home to 'fuck'. He was telling the truth about the money and my mum not being able to afford to look after us all, but whether you believe this or not is a different story. He hasn't had anything to drink since he's been staying with me. He told me everything about America. I haven't let him out of my sight since.

I'm here to keep him on the straight and narrow. You don't have to do it anymore so don't worry. My numbers at the bottom if you wanna ring me or anything.

Toni.

1-800-000-000

I folded it and set it on her bedside table and ran down the stairs where Cody was waiting at the front door.

"What were you doing?" he asked.

"I needed to use the toilet before we left." I said trying to sound natural. He didn't look as if he believed me but didn't say anything about it. Just wait until I get my hands on you I thought, you're not going to know what's hit you.


	11. I knew that you would walk away from me

We retraced our steps back home. I was contemplating whether to ask him all of the unanswered questions that I have. Would I offend him by not waiting for him to open up to me? I will wait until he tells me about it. As we walked through the town people were looking at us but I didn't know why.

"Are you okay young man?" a random woman stopped us and asked. Cody was still crying, what Alli said must have really hurt him. Can people seriously stop with reminding him of what he used to do, it's tearing him apart.

"Yes. I'm fine" was all he said wiping his face. "Thank you for asking."

He walked away. The woman was surprised and looked at me. "I'm sorry he's not okay. There's something that happened between him and his family and he hasn't quite gotten over it yet."

"Oh Honey tell him I'm sorry. "She said with sympathy, "I didn't mean to get into his business or yours."

"Its okay" I said then bolted in the direction that Cody had went off, I couldn't see him anywhere. Where did he go? I seen a familiar sea blue guitar case bobbing through the crowd and ran at it.

"Cody, I'm sorry I can't hold it in any longer. What was that back there? Do you care to explain?" I said so quick I didn't expect him to understand anything. He stayed quiet and carried on weaving his way through the people.

"What is 'Going Whitey'?" I asked.

"It's when you get so high that you pass out, your body can't handle it so it makes your body go to sleep for a little while until all the toxins leave your system." He said quietly. So you been high, did you not think to tell me that.

"What was Alli talking about when she said that you 'bring skanks' back to your house so you could 'fuck them'?" My voice started rising with every new syllable. He thought about my question for a minute.

"That's what Alli thinks I did. Yeah I brought some girls home but..." was he going to say it? "I'm still a virgin. We only fool around and I'm not ready to go that far yet. Whether I'm drunk, high or sober."

Do I believe him? Would he just say stuff that he thinks will shut me up and not ask anymore questions. Like Alli said, if she can't trust him then how can I?

"You don't trust me now do you? I can see the cogs turning in your head trying to work it all out" a lot of emotions ran through me all at once. Hate, distrust, frustration, anger, love and wanting to do something to protect him from everything that's happening to him. But why should I do that? He hasn't trusted me with everything like he said he did.

I made a sound of disgust in the back of my throat and began to start walking faster trying to get away from him. Right now I didn't want to be near him. I don't understand I thought that he had told me everything because I really wouldn't have minded if he had told me straight instead of me finding out through his sister.

"Toni" He shouted and ran to keep up with me. I turned in the opposite direction and kept walking. "Toni! Wait! The only reason I didn't tell you that everything had gotten that bad because I knew something like this would happen. You'd be disgusted with me and I was right."

I stopped walking. Did he seriously think that? After everything I told him. "I'm not annoyed because you did all that stuff. Quite frankly I couldn't care less. What I'm annoyed about is the fact that you didn't trust me enough to tell me. I've told you over and over that I'm here for you and that I will never leave you."

He looked at his feet, I hope that he realises what he has done wrong. I turned around and stalked off but the time he didn't follow me. Good, I have no desire to see him right now I just need time to cool off.

It had started raining but I didn't even notice. I found myself sitting on a swing at the park just wanting to rest for a while. I didn't have a jacket or anything tick on so I started shivering and was soaked to the bone. While walking home I decided about what I was going to say to Cody

I opened the door and was surprised to see my mum making dinner, was she not supposed to be at work?

"Hey mum, where's Cody?" I asked.

"Oh I thought he was with you..." she said looking around to see my soaked attire. "Toni, what happened?" she rushed over to me and caressed my shoulders.

"We got into a fight mum and I walked off, I don't know where he is" I panicked fighting back tears. I walked off on him about two hours ago and didn't go immediately home. Shouldn't he be here by now?

"Shush calm down. He can't have gotten far. Go grab your coat and we'll go look for him." She calmed me. Cody where are you?


	12. Better Together

My mum and I went out everywhere searching for Cody but we couldn't find him anywhere. He hasn't been living here for very long so he could have gotten lost or fell and knocked himself out somewhere or got kidnapped or gotten murdered or raped or...stop thinking about that stuff it's just making me feel ill. Where would he go? What would he do? All of this just made me realise just how much I didn't know about him or his personal life apart from what he did in America. I will find him.

"Toni, calm we will find him." My mum said as she turning the steering wheel to move us down yet anther road. I hadn't realised but i was biting the skin off around my finger nails and I only do that when I'm seriously stressed, upset or worried and right now I think that it's all three.

"I can't what if he's laying in a gutter somewhere and we'll never find him, he doesn't even have a phone so I can't call him."

"Well we haven't looked through town yet so we'll go that way." Said mummy.

She drove through the streets towards the centre of town. I started to panic when i saw a huge crowd that had gathered near one of the music shops on town.

"I knew it something bad has happened!" I shouted and opened the car door while my mum was still driving and hopped out to run over to where the crowd was almost getting run over in the process.

I heard music, where was it coming from? I pushed my way through the crowd stepping on peoples feet by accident and earning some death glares and fist shaking directed at me. I didn't care I just had to see if it was Cody. I burst through the crowd to the centre and there he was sitting on a stool with his guitar singing. Everyone was quiet as he sung, I was mesmerised.

He had his eyes shut while he sang. Wait, I knew that song. I walked over to him but he still had his eyes shut.

"I believe in memories  
They look so, so pretty when I sleep  
Hey now, and when I wake up,  
You look so pretty sleeping next to me  
But there is not enough time,  
And there is no, no song I could sing  
And there is no combination of words I could say  
But I will still tell you one thing  
We're better together." I sang finishing of the song by Jack Johnston. Cody had faded out just staring at me and wondering where I had come from. He just stared at me, I didn't give him a chance to speak because I hugged him so tight he couldn't breathe. Everyone was clapping for us but I couldn't care less.

Pulled back and hit his arm. "I was looking everywhere for you" I cried into his shoulder again.

"Sorry, I thought you didn't want to see me so I didn't follow you. When I get frustrated or upset I have to play. I can't not so I just took my guitar out and started playing the crowd was just a bonus." He hugged me back. "I didn't know you could sing..."

I didn't have time to reply because some random man walked over to the both of us "You young man have an amazing voice, you too young lady." He smiled.

"Ummm...Thank you" Cody said. I was too embarrassed to speak, it just hit me that I had sang in front of all of those people.

"He's my card, call me if you would be interesting in recording with me. I'm Jace Smith, nice to meet you." He handed Cody the card.

"Umm...I'm already signed to Atlantic Records" Cody said. I looked at the card.

"America? Aren't you a bit far away to be signed to them?" Jace asked curiously.

"Well...I'm kind of taking a break ya know. Fame kind of got to me." Cody whispered.

"What's your name?"

"Cody Simpson." Jace then looked at me. "Toni Mc Arthur"

"Well just remember you have my card if you change your minds" he shook our hands one more time and then left.

"I've had enough drama for one day. Can we just go home and talk about this there?" I asked really not wanting to get into it yet.

"Sure, but I don't think there's much to talk about." Cody replied bluntly. I guess I can understand that but I still want to talk about it. I helped him gather his stuff up and grabbed his hand. We found my mum parking in the car park that we usually go to. She ran out of the car.

"Cody! You had us so worried." She ran over to Cody and grabbed him in a hug. "You're not even my son but I was in bits please don't do that to us ever again!"

"I'm sorry" Was a he said. I guess Cody has affected my whole family, he's basically part of it now. If something were to happen to him it would be like losing a family member. Heartbreaking.

"Come on, we can go to Mc Donald's for dinner, my treat." She exclaimed trying to lighten the mood. Neither of us told her about the man or his card, I don't think Cody was ready to face it yet.

I don't think I was ready to face it yet.


	13. Why can't we be normal?

All three of us got into the house and went to our rooms, by the time we had gotten back it was dark and I was knackered after all the events of today. It was really quiet as Adam was staying at a friend's house tonight. I looked over at Cody who had just flopped onto my bed while I stood in the doorway. I thought about how much my life has changed over the past couple of days and it's all because of this one boy. He looked at me funny.

"Have I got something on my face?" he asked lifting his hand to touch his face. I laughed and jumped on top on him. We started laughing and carrying on, trying to push each other of the bed and tickling each other. It made us forget about the emotion wreck that our lives are.

"If you two don't shut up I'm coming in there." My mum called through the wall. We muffled our laughs and lay down beside each other. I wonder what she thinks we are doing.

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we had normal lives and lived like normal people with normal problem and normal living arrangements?" asked Cody. I laughed.

"Well we used to do that. It's not that long ago that those things changed to be like this." I pointed towards me and him.

"I guess but I just can't remember what it's like to live normally because I haven't done in nearly four years."

"Put it this way, if you hadn't have done what you did you never would have found me" I smiled at him and he smiled back. A real smile that stretched from ear to ear.

"Thank the lord for my short temper" I raised his hands towards the ceiling and I laughed again.

"The teachers are going to ask us so many questions tomorrow" I sighed not wanting to even think about going back to school tomorrow.

"Why?" Cody said with raised eyebrows.

"Well do you not think that us both being off for only one day and living in the same house is going to look suspicious?" I replied.

"I guess you're right" He rolled over onto his side and faced me and just looked at me.

"What? Is there something on my face?" I asked mocking him.

"Ha funny ha ha" he replied.

"You love me" I laughed back. Did I really just say that?

"Yes I do and you're lucky. Not many people get to experience my love." He smiled back really cheesy.

We were silent for a while. I like the silence between us, it just shows that we don't need words to communicate with each other. We just feel what the other it feeling. I rolled into his warmth getting drowsy. I could hear his soft snores and chuckled falling into a comforting sleep knowing that he was just behind me.

I woke up the next morning to find my bed empty. I automatically looked at my phone. I had a missed call from an unknown number which was odd because no one has my number apart from mum, peter and lily. Peter or lily probably pranked me to get back at me for basically ditching them. How immature. I'm still really annoyed with them. Can I not have other friends? I didn't see the problem.

I got up to find Cody eating his cereal in the dinning room with my mum at the table, they were speaking enthusiastically. He had his back turned to me so I was quiet trying to sneak up on him.

"So Cody" My mum started. "Do you like Toni? I've noticed that you two have gotten very close in your short stay here. Especially last night, I got up to check that you two had finally went to sleep and you were both tucked up in the same bed cuddled together. I've never seen her trust someone this quickly and easily but with you it's a completely different story"

I stopped dead in my tracks. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. Why was she asking him this? Of course he only likes me as a friend. He thought about his answer carefully.

"I care very much for Toni. I have an uncontrolled feeling to protect her from every bad thing that can harm her. I want to make her happy and keep the bad thoughts away. I want her to never have to worry about anything ever again. I have feelings for her but I don't know if I would want to ruin our friendship just to satisfy them." My eyes started watering. I had never had anyone say this about me before.

I felt the same way towards him. I wanted to stop him from thinking about how bad a person he thinks he is for doing what he did in America and for doing drugs and getting drunk almost every night. I wanted to protect him from everyone who has anything to say about his past. I want him to be happy but do I want to ruin our relationship? I like what we have now and I don't want to lose him.

I wiped my eyes and opened the cupboards and started clattering bowls to let them hear that I was there.

"Morning Toni" mummy said and winked at me. She knew I heard what they said but Cody didn't.

"Uh...H-hi Toni" Cody Stuttered. I laughed and took my cereal into the dinning room and sat opposite him.

"Morning" I replied t both of them sounding cheery. The thing was though I am in a good mood.

"I'll let you two eat" mummy said and got up from the table. She looked at me again and smiled. Yup, she definitely knew that I had heard.

I started eating


	14. It's all too much

"What did you think you were doing yesterday?" I got asked by Peter as soon as I got into my first class and at down.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" I replied confused.

"Why weren't you at school yesterday? Do you not think that it looks odd that you and Cody were both off?" he shout/whispered at me. Who does he think he is? I've known Peter for quite a long time but I've never seen him act like this before. I didn't answer because I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to tell him the reason why I bunked off school because I would then have to explain why Cody had a lot of money and I don't think he would like it very much if I let his secret out. Especially to Peter.

"uhhh..." I didn't know what to say.

"I knew it" he fumed. "Toni, out of all the years I have known you, you have never done anything like this or even wanted to do it but all of a sudden a pretty boy comes along and you would drop to your knees for him. Seriously Toni, I thought better of you."

"Who do you think you are?" I asked my voice getting louder. "You accuse me of all of these things with no proof. You don't know what I did yesterday and for all you know we could have been sick."

"What a coincidence that both of you were sick on the same day and back into school again the next." He mocked me.

"We live in the same house and sleep in the same room, it wouldn't be hard. You have got no right to hate on me or Cody. You don't know him or his story so don't judge him on his looks." By this stage everyone had stopped what they were doing and were quietly staring at us. "And nobody tells me what to do. If I didn't want to bunk off school with Cody yesterday I wouldn't have done it. Cody has been a better friend to me in five days that you have been in five years."

I ran out of the classroom everyone watching me. I can't believe him. Why would he think that Cody basically brainwashes me? I would do anything for Cody but not because he's a 'Pretty Boy' but because he's my friend and I love him. That's it. I love Cody Simpson. I've been denying it but it is true.

I ran into the girls' bathroom, I never came in here. The grubby lilac walls were enough to make anyone feels sick. I need to take my mind of Peter before I hit something, preferably his face. I took out my phone and remembered the missed call that I found this morning. It wasn't any number that I recognized and my hands shook while pressing the re-dial button. It rang for a long time. Maybe it was just a wrong number.

"Hello?" a vaguely familiar voice answered.

"Ummm...H-hi..." my voice shook.

"Ahhh...Who is this?" the voice asked with an Australian accent.

"You rang me earlier?" I said but it was more of a question.

"Toni?" her voice was automatically guarded. Who is this person?

"Yes, who is this?" I replied getting more nervous. They know my name and everything.

"It's Alli...Cody's sister..." she sounded as if she regretted ringing me in the first place. I didn't expect her to ring, what do I say t her/

"Hi Alli. I'm glad you called. I'm really sorry about yesterday. Cody told me no-one would be there. I never would have barged into your house if I knew you or anyone else from your family was there..." I rambled on wanting to sound sincerely sorry.

"Calm Down" she shouted down the phone. Why do people keep shouting at me?

"I'm sorry..." I whispered trying to hold back tears. I just want people to accept the relationship that Cody and I have.

"Look" she sighed. "I'm still off school today because I'm sick but not as sick as yesterday. I will meet you over the town. Be at Starbucks in ten minutes or else I go back home."

She hung up. I let the tears fall onto the greying wash basin, I couldn't hold them in any longer, I sobbed until my chest hurt from the force. I got up and wiped my cheeks and ran out of the school making my way into the centre of town. I ran the whole way, I only had ten minutes or she was going to leave. I had to prove to her that Cody has changed and that he's not going to go back to the way he was. I had to prove that I wasn't some skank that he brought home to shag.

I could see Starbucks in the distance, I'm not going to make it. I could she a blonde head leaving through the main door.

"Alli! Alli!" I shouted. Please turn around. "ALLI!"

She finally turned her head towards me. I ran to catch up with her and almost ran into her. I was ready to collapse, my school wasn't that far away from town but I still had to run quite fast to get her in time.

"I didn't think you were going to show" she said coldly.

"I...ran all the...way from...school" I panted bent over trying to catch my breath.

She walked back through the door into Starbucks and I took that as my cue to follow. She found an empty table and sat down. I followed like a lost puppy not knowing what to do around her.

"So" she said after an awkward silence. "What was the real reason you were at my house yesterday?"

After all that she didn't believe me. All the frustration that I had built up inside me got too much. My granda dieing, mum having to pull through three jobs, Cody staying with me in my room, not that he was any bother but it was just a big change and just being all on my own for this not getting any support from the people who I thought was my best friends. I burst out crying, I couldn't take it anymore.

Alli looked so shocked and immediately I seen her features turn into a face of concern. What made her change her tune.

"come on" she soothed, "Let's get you to my house."


	15. Don't tell him

Alli and Cody's house wasn't that far away from town. We walked in silence, all you could hear was the traffic and me sniffing. I felt so week, I never cry. I didn't cry when my dad left, I didn't cry when my Granda died and I didn't cry when I fell and broke my arm when I was eleven. I have changed so much in these last few days but I didn't know whether I liked the change.

Fair enough I have gained quite a lot of emotional baggage I felt week none the less.

We finally got to her house and she unlocked it a led me in. I felt so awkward standing in the big open hallway not knowing what to do with myself. She walked in into the kitchen and I followed I sat down on one of the chairs at the table and laid my head down. All I wanted to do was sleep. I had been physically and emotionally drained.

Alli still didn't say anything to me but I heard the clatter of mugs and the soft noise that the kettle made. I comforted me as it was something that I heard at home every day. I was drifting off thinking about Cody and what he would do when he found out that I had left school. Maybe peter was right. I e=never skipped school until Cody came along and now I'm doing it without a second thought. Has he changed me in a bad way? No. What am I talking about. Cody has been the best thing to walk into my life since my Granda died.

A soft thud of a coffee mug being set on the table lifted me out of my daydream. Alli had made us tea and she sat down opposite me. I waited for her to talk not knowing what to say to her. I wanted to make a good impression but I guess that ship sailed quickly.

"Tell me" she started "Why you were with Cody here yesterday?" She said more softly this time.

"Like Cody said we were getting money for my mum. She already works three jobs and her pay check just didn't cover all the bills this month now that she has to feed an extra mouth. I was really worried that the extra stress would push her over the edge and I think Cody knew that so he offered to give us some money so that we could cope. I thought that he was quite brave coming back here after everything that has happened between you and his mum" I explained not wanting to sound patronizing or as if I'm trying to dumb talk to her. She stayed quiet for aminutes trying to process everything I said.

"I'm really sorry" she said, I could her in her voice that she truly was. "I automatically thought the worst because of everything that happened in America. I didn't think that he had changed at all once I seen him with a pretty girl skipping school. I didn't think that I could handle it anymore. Him getting drunk and high, it was all too much. I mean have you ever seen someone go whitey? It's so scary. He came home one night and I knew immediately that he was high and he just fell at my feet and I thought that he had died or something. Thank God my parents weren't home but he finally came around and promised that he'd never do it again but he did it all over again the next night."

I had never thought that Alli would have had to go through all that with her brother. I knew that she was only about a year younger than us making her fourteen and I don't think I would be able to cope with that myself. She was starting to tear up. I got up out of my set and went around to her taking her in my arms and she just let it all out. Once her sobs turned into whimpers which turned into silence I let go of her.

"Alli. I'm sorry. If I can do anything to make it better I will but I just want to tell you, since Cody has been living with me he hasn't drank or touched any weed and I won't let him as long as I can help." I told her. I finally understand why she was so cold with me. She had no reason to trust me or Cody. "Thank you for calling me or else I would never have understood you."

"Toni will you promise me one thing?" she asked.

"Of course. What is it?" I asked softly.

"Don't tell Cody that we spoke to each other today because if he knew he would try to talk to me to and I don't think I'm ready to talk to him yet." She whispered.

I gave her another hug. "I won't tell him don't worry but All ii think that we should meet up again."

"Me too" was all she said. I hugged her for I don't know how long. I feel her pain. She lost someone that she loved and was very close too. The only difference was that mine was dead and hers is still alive. I let a couple of more tears escape and vowed that I would never be this weak again.

I looked up at the clock and it was one o'clock.

"Hey Alli I better get back to school. I need to get back before afternoon registration but we can meet up this weekend okay?" I said to her pulling back from our hug.

"Yeah sure don't let me keep you back." She replied.

"You going to be okay?" I asked a little worried.

"Yep I'll be fine" she said while walking me back to the front door. I gave her one last hug and then ran back up her drive towards the main road.

I had only fifteen minutes to get back to school. I sprinted trying to get there before the second bell after lunch. I got through the gate to see the only face that I didn't want to see.


	16. Seriously

I stopped dead in my tracks. The bell had already rang as a signal first class after lunch so there was no one near the gate except him.

"I don't have to energy to take with you right now" I spat and walked straight by him not looking him in the eye.

"Come on Toni? I came here to wait for you so that I could apologise." He said. I stopped walking but didn't turn around.

"Peter. You think that after everything you've said about me and Cody that sorry is going to fix it all. After calling me a skank and saying that Cody was only looking for one thing of me. If that's what you think then you've got another thought coming. You're not forgiven" I spat and continued walking to get my bag from my first class. I didn't bring it with me when I left the school.

"Ha." He laughed dryly. "If you don't forgive me Toni I'll just go tell the Dr. Bob what you did today."

"You do whatever the fuck you want because quite frankly I couldn't care less!" I shouted at him but I didn't turn to look at him. He didn't deserve it.

"You'll be sorry Toni. I'll be sure of it" this time I ignored him and went on to my next class.

I had Maths next with Cody meaning that I'd have to answer to him once I got there. I mentally sighed. I got my bag from Mr Ramsay's room, good job he didn't have a class. I would have to think up of an excuse to tell Mrs Ronan why I'm late. I opened the door and walked in. Everyone in the class turned to look at me, I immediately felt my face flush. I don't like having all this attention on me.

"Sorry Miss I...Uhh ...wasn't feeling well" I stuttered out. I didn't think that she'd believe me but she did. Must have been due to the fact that I look awful.

Walking over to my desk I could see Cody looking down at his hands not even bothering to acknowledge that I was there. I sat down in my chair beside him but even then he didn't look up.

"Hey.." I whispered. Nothing. "What's wrong?"

Nothing.

"Cody..." I dragged out the y trying to make him at least smile. Anything to know that he was okay.

Nothing.

"Is everything Okay?" I asked one more time.

"Miss Mc Arthur" Mrs Ronan spoke up. "I will not have you coming in late into my class and then disrupting everyone else. Hush."

"Sorry Miss" I said quietly. I gave up trying to talk to Cody. I didn't know what was wrong with him. What have I done to upset him? I couldn't think of anything. For the whole class he just sat there and did nothing. He didn't look up, he didn't take notes and he didn't speak. Once the bell rang for next class I began to pack my stuff up. I heard the chair squeak beside me and looked up. Cody had gotten up pushed his chair back in and walked out of the room. He just left me.

I fought back the tears. Is it because I left school with out telling him? Has he found out that I went to see Alli without telling him? How could he have known about me going to see Alli though? It was a split second decision. I gave up thinking and walked to my next class this time I was b myself. Maybe he just needs time to think about something that's bothering him. Not having me beside him might help.

I walked home alone today. I met Cody outside the front entrance of the school and tried talking to him again. He just ignored me and walked faster. I let him walk on and slowly dragged my feet home. I tried unlocking my front door to find that it was already unlocked. Was mum home? I slowly creaked it open and heard singing from the kitchen. Yep she was home again.

"Hey mum. Why are you home again?" I asked.

"Well now that Cody has been so generous as to give us money I've decided to take few days off and spend it with you kids." She smiled. She looked around at me and her face fell. "Honey. What's wrong?"

"Nothing mum I'm just tired." I said. "Where's Cody?"

"He's in your room honey. Did something happen today? He just came in said Hello and went straight to your room. Usually he's more...Lively?" She wondered.

"I don't know mum. Really, he's ignoring me for some reason. I don't know what I've done to him though." I sighed.

"Oh I wouldn't worry. He's maybe just tired to go talk to him, I'm sure everything's fine" she smiled again. What would I do without her. She's my rock.

I dumped my bag at the front door and made my way to my room just wondering what I would say to him. I just stood there to scared to go in suddenly very interested in my door sign. I made it when I was 12. It was purple with my name and a lot of swirly designs all over it. The only thing wrong with it was that it only had my name on it. It couldn't really be called my room anymore now that I shared it with Cody. I took a pen out of my pocket and wrote his name n the same way mine was but in blue. I also did a couple of blue swirly lines to make it look balanced.

Stop Stalling Toni. Okay now time to get in there and see what's wrong. I knocked the door not wanting t just barge in. There was no answer. I knocked again but there was still no answer.

"Come on Cody. This is my room too ya know." I said through the wood. He opened the door and walked away from it back to his bed that he had pulled out.

"I wasn't stopping you from coming in" He said with no emotion. He threw himself back onto his bed and looked straight up to the ceiling. He still had his uniform on but now it was a wrinkled.

"Will you tell me what your problem is?" I asked getting fed up with him giving me the cold shoulder. He stayed quiet. I walked over and lay on my bed sideway but face down with my head hanging over his side of the bed. "Are you not going to answer?"

"I was talking to peter today while you had left the school. I got so freaked out that I couldn't find you anywhere so I went to go ask him and lily if they might have seen you. Peter told me a few things while I was with him." Cody said.

I felt fear relish every inch on my body. "What were the things?"


	17. I'm going to find out

I felt the panic rise through my body. What has Peter Said about me? Everything ran through my head all at once giving me possibly the biggest head ache I'd ever had. It felt like hours since Cody had stopped talking again but I knew that it was only a matter of seconds.

"He told me some of the things that you've been saying about me." He replied. He sounded really hurt. Did I say anything about Cody that I wouldn't have wanted him to hear? No, I didn't so what was Peter talking about. "He told me that you think that I'm a man whore. He told me that you've been going around telling everyone my story and about how much of a sick bastard I must be for beating someone up for no reason. He also told me that you said that I'm a waster for getting high and drunk."

I was taken back. Peter really said all of these things. Is he really that angry that I've made a friend? Does he think that if Cody leaves me I'll come running back to him and Lily and we can all be best friends again? I don't think so. Now when I think of it I haven't heard from Lily all that much, it had been Peter who has been doing all of the medalling. I didn't know what to say and Cody took my silence the wrong way.

"I knew it. So it's true then? I knew I couldn't trust you so easily, everything was too much of dream that I knew there had to be something up with it all. So what is it you want? Huh? No one tries to get a 'celebrities' attention and trust unless that want something." He said all in one breathe. I could tell that he was fighting back tears and I didn't know what to do to comfort him. He had his mind set that I had said all of those things so how was I to defend myself.

"I don't want anything" I whispered so quietly I wasn't sure whether he heard me. He just turned over so that his back was towards me and I took that as my sign to leave him alone for a little while. I want to go for a run. I got up of the bed and pulled out a pair of leggings and a sports bra and pulled them on. I grabbed my trainers and my iPod and earphones and closed the door softly behind me. I told my mum I was going out and just left.

I began pounding on the pavement. The sound was familiar and it comforted me through all of this upset emotions that I was feeling. Why would Peter do this to me? I didn't know the answer to that but I was going to find out and why was Lily not sticking up for me. When me and Peter had little petty fights when we were younger she always took my side but this time she's no where to be seen and it made me wonder what had happened to all of the history between us. It had all fallen apart over one person with a bad past.

Wait. How does Peter know about what happened in America with Cody? I didn't tell him and I'm sure as hell that Cody doesn't want anyone to know. This kid is up to something and I was going to find out what it was.

Through all of my hard thinking I found myself lying on the ground. What happened? I looked up to see a petite figure standing above me asking me if I was ok but I was too dazed to answer. I sat up and saw that the person who I had run into was Alli.

"Are you okay?" she asked one more time and this time I was able to answer.

"Uhh...Yeah are you?" I asked slowly making sure not to stumble over my words.

"Yeah I'm fine" she laughed "I'm so sorry I wasn't looking where I was going while I was running"

Now when I take a good look at her I see that we look exactly the same. Black leggings and sports bra, White trainers, hair tied up, iPod and earphones and the sweat dripping off us. I laughed.

"It's my fault too. I was deep in thought" I said. "I didn't know that you ran?"

"Yeah well I only do it when I'm upset or something like that and I guess I am upset right now." She sighed. I was more like this girl than I thought.

"Same" I said. "What are you upset about?"

"Cody" was all she had to say "What about you?"

"Would it be weird if I said the same thing?" I asked laughing.

"What happened?" she asked looking concerned.

"Well one of my best guy friends is upset that I've made another friend so he told Cody that I said a pile of stuff about him when I didn't. Now Cody won't talk to me." I sighed.

"Uhh...he'll come around when he realises that you're not the type of person to backstab" she comforted me.

"Yeah well I'm pretty sure Peter is up to something but I don't know how I would find out"

"I'll help you." She said. "Cody may have had a bad couple of years but that doesn't mean that I'll let someone mess with him...or you"

"You sure? You don't have to get in the middle of it." I said.

"No I wanna help it'll take my mind of things but we can't tell Cody" she warned.

"No I won't tell him" I confirmed. We ran back to her house and laughed the whole way. I can tell I'm going to be good friends with her. I told her everything about Peter and we wondered what we were going to do about him and how we were going to keep Cody in the dark about it all. I knew it was going to be hard job but I could do it. All I had to do now what to get him to talk to me again.


	18. Reactions

I ran back home from Alli's house. We thought about how we would sort Peter out but we came up with nothing. I thought that if we waited for long enough we might catch him out on what it is he is trying to do. I got in the door to be greeted by my mum.

"Hey honey. How was your run?" she smiled at me.

"Great" I tried to sound convincing.

"Okay" she sighed. "What's up? You never run unless you're upset."

"Cody is still ignoring me. Peter told him that I said stuff about him which I didn't and now he won't speak to me because he thinks that it's true. I can't believe that he believes Peter over me especially since he knows that Peter doesn't like him and called him a pretty boy that only he wanted one thing off girls and...I don't know what to do..." I rambled on. I fell into my mum and she hugged me back. I didn't cry this time, I think I've cried myself out today.

"Oh sweetheart. Did you try to tell him that you didn't say anything like that?" she asked.

"No, I guessed he just needed time to get over it so I just left him to think. I'm hoping he'll come around and realise that I wouldn't say anything like that." I whispered.

"Well, I'll tell you what. I'll finish making you dinner and then Adam and I will go eat in the living room and you two eat at the table or in your room. It'll give you time to talk alone. Okay?" she said trying to make me feel better.

"Yeah we'll eat in my room." I said making my way to the bathroom to take a shower before my dinner was ready. "Thanks mum."

"I'll call you when it's done" she said cutting up the rest of the potatoes.

Peeling of my running clothes I stepped into the warm water. The familiar routine of washing my hair and brushing my teeth made me calm down. That is until I got shampoo in my eye, it stang like a mother. I finally got it out and stepped out of the shower and walked to my room. I stood there for a minute with the water dripping from me and landing on the floor. I finally got the courage to open the door and go in.

Cody was still in the same position he was in when I left him. He didn't even acknowledge that I had entered the room.

"Hey." I whispered . He looked over at me but didn't say anything. I decided to do something that I've never done before. I got my underwear from the draw along with my pyjamas. I started to get nervous...was I really going to go through with this? If I don't do it now I'll get to scared. I dropped my towel without a second thought. Cody had seen me in my underwear but never naked. Why did I do this again? Oh yeah to get a reaction out of him.

Immediately he covered his eyes. "Why did you do that?" he asked.

"Have we not already been through this?" I asked. I pulled on my underwear and was getting my pyjamas on. He didn't answer but I knew that he was thinking I could nearly see the cogs in his head turning. I can't believe it had to go this far for him to realise that I still trust him and to get him to trust me again. I heard my mum call our names and I went to get my dinner.

She had both of ours sitting on the bench. Cody came out behind me.

"You two can go eat in your room" she called to us as she made her way to the living room. I grabbed my plate and walked into my room and sat on my bed. I didn't realise Cody had followed me until I felt the bed sink beside me and felt the heat of him arm touch mine. I set my plate down n the bed and looked at him. He was already looking at me and he smiled. At the moment I knew I was forgiven. I tackled him onto the bed and he held me close.

"I'm sorry for ignoring you" he said.

"You should be" I laughed and hit his arm. "I didn't say any of those things that Peter told you. Why did you believe him?"

"I dunno...I guess I thought that you were to good to be true..." his smile faltered.

"Cody Simpson. You're my bestfriend. I'm never going to leave you. End of. I can't believe you. It took me to get naked before you would forgive me" I teased him.

"Hey. I didn't ask you to do that." His cheeks went bright red.

"You wouldn't have forgiven me if I hadn't made a bold gesture. Anyway I don't care. You accept me for who I am and that's all that matters." Cody looked me deep in the eye and I knew that we were both the same person but at the same time different. It was hard to explain.

"I'm going to have to get Peter back. How did he know what I did though? That was the main reason why I thought that what he said was true because you were the only on I told." he asked concerned.

"I don't know but I'm going to find out." I said. More to myself than to him. I was just so happy that we were talking again. We began eating as our food was getting cold. We sat up for hours just talking about the most random stuff. Even though it was only a couple of hours I missed him so much. We finally got tired and lay down in my bed in his arm ready to fall asleep.

"Love you Toni" he said.

"Love you too Cody" This time I meant it.


	19. You can do things for me

I woke up the next morning to find that Cody had fallen out of the bed.

"Ughhhhh" he moaned squirming on the floor. I laughed and got up to help him.

"Are you okay?" I asked and gave him my hand to help him get up. He didn't take it but lay on the floor holding his arm. "Cody?"

Did I dream that he forgave me last night because I knew that he heard me but he wouldn't answer. Wait. He fell out of my bed which means that he slept there last night so it couldn't have been a dream.

"Yeahhh" he whispered. He must be in pain. He just lay there trying not to move because once he did it hurt.

"Are you okay?" I asked again with more urgency. I bent down beside him and grabbed his wrist. He howled in pain. "I'll get my mum"

I ran out of the room and into mummy's room. She hadn't left for work yet because it was still dark outside and she doesn't leave until it gets light. It was only about four am.

"Mum" I shook her awake. "I think Cody had broken his arm or something."

She shot up right away with wide eyes and ran into my room to find that Cody was still lying on our bedroom floor holding his arm. She got over to him and knelt down beside him. He fallen off the side that his bed wasn't on and just fell on the hard wooden floor.

"Honey, what hurts?" she soothed him.

"My wrist." He grunted sounding in real pain. Com one when I broke my arm it wasn't that sore. My mum tried to get him to move his wrist but it just wasn't happening.

"Right I'm going to have to take you to A&E to get that checked out." She said trying to get hi to stand up. "Toni go tell Adam were we are going and that he better be at school by the time we get back because by the looks of it we'll be at the hospital for a while."

I grabbed my shoes and put them on as I told Adam what mum told me too. I grabbed my coat and followed her and Cody out into the car. I was early in the morning so there was no traffic. I sat in the back with Cody, he'd refrained from grunting in pain but I knew that it hurt, I'd done it before. I started to feel the chill in the night air, I didn't get time to put on proper clothes so I was still in my pyjamas and too was Cody. He noticed that I was shaking.

"Come here" he whispered. He opened him arms while trying not wince. I climbed into them and he set his wrist on my lap and I tried my best not to move. I saw my mum looking at us through the wing mirror with a wondering look on her face. It was a short drive to the hospital but I found myself getting lost in the colours of the street lights whizzing past above us.

We finally got to A&E in what was minutes but felt like hours especially in my dazed state of being half awake and half asleep. We got into A&E and there wasn't a doctor/nurse in sight.

"Go you two and sit in the waiting room while I got find someone." She said while walking away her long coat flapping after her. We made our way through the dark dingy corridors until we got to the waiting room. I almost didn't want to sit in the chairs because I knew from experience that this is where drunks and wasters usually spent their nights at the weekend. I gave in and sat not wanting to be standing for ages.

"You okay?" I asked sounding like a broken record.

"I'll be fine as long as you don't leave me" he said looking around not liking the thought of being here. I took his non injured arm and held his hand. "How come you weren't in second class yesterday?"

What to I tell him? I knew he was going to ask this question but I had never thought of the answer. I can't tell him that I went to meet up with Alli...

"Peter started arguing with me yesterday first period so I just left school. Didn't know where I was going. I was so full of rage that I had to leave the school or else I would have done something I would have regretted. Just wait till I see him again. He's not going to know what's hit him." I said feeling the anger bubble inside me.

"Woah calm down. Your face is turning red." He calmed me.

"Sorry. I just can't believe what he did. I never did anything bad to him but look what he's doing to us." I whimpered.

"Shushh. It'll be fine" he said as I leaned back into him again.

My mum came bolting around the corner but this time with a doctor. She was quite young maybe only left college.

"Right Cody let's get you seen to." She smiled warmly at him. He got up and followed her into a small room across from the waiting room. I stayed where I was already feeling cold from his arms not being around me. Mummy sat down where he was sitting and it didn't feel as cold as before. She was worried. I could tell by the creases in her forehead and the way she fidgeted with her fingers.

"Mum, calm down." I soothed. "He'll be fine in there."

"I know but I consider Cody as one of my children now. I know he's only been here at the most six days but it's like he's always been there and always will be there." She sighed.

"I fell exactly the same way" I laid my head on her shoulder.

"mhhh...I bet you do." She said in a funny way.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Toni you haven't been this happy since your granda died. He makes you happy. I've seen you two together like in the car there was no air between you and him it was the same in here about two minutes ago too. Would you care to tell me why Cody was in your bed last night?" she asked. She wasn't angry, just curious. I could feel my cheeks get ten times hotter. I thought that maybe she would forget about that. Cody came back out of the room with the doctor following him.

"I have to get an x-ray" he stated and pointed towards the direction he was supposed to be walking in and the doctor rushed ahead of him to get there first. Good timing. It was quiet again all I could hear was my breathing.

"Toni? I'm still waiting for an answer." She cheekily smiled at me.

"Mum. Me and Cody are just best friends okay? We made up last night while we were eating in my room on my bed. After we had finished we lay down and talked for hours. Even though it had only been a couple of hours that he had ignored me I had missed him so much and eventually we fell asleep. Nothing more, nothing less" I explained to her. I don't think she believed me.

"What ever you say Toni." She said. "Just remember that you can tell me anything or ask me for anything okay?"

She did not just say that..."Sure"

"Mrs. Mc Arthur!" a female voice called my mum. She got up and ran down the hallway. I followed her. We came to a dark room with light up boards. There Cody was sitting in a chair with his arm up on a white table. "We have come across a slight fracture in Cody's arm. With your permission I would like to put a plaster on it?"

"Of course anything to help him I'll pay for it" she sighed. It wouldn't be her that pays for it but I knew that if she had the money she would have had. A nurse came into the room and called Cody to get his plaster on. I followed both of them into another room where the stuff was kept. He sat down at another table and I sat on the other side of it facing him.

"Now let's see. What colour do you want?" the nurse asked him.

"I say you should get the pink one. It brings out the colour in you eyes" I laughed.

"Ha fricken ha ha" he said to me although he laughed too. "Blue please."

"You're such a typical boy" I said.

"Well I don't want to be walking around with a rare coloured plaster on my arm for two months." He said.

"Oh my god. Take a chance. Live a little. Be Different." I whispered the last part. He gave me a funny look. The nurse put on the bandage and was now wetting the pieces of plaster to put over his arm.

"It feels weird" he said.

"Yeah just wait until you try to take shower with a hunk of paper on your arm that you can't get wet." I laughed dryly. I remember when I had to do it. I got it wet several times.

"You've broken a bone?" he asked.

"Yeah when I was eleven...I thought it was amazing because everyone gave me their attention" I laughed. He laughed too.

"Well then you better give me some attention. Come when I call. Get me what I want. Do things that no one else can do for me." He smiled at me in a cheeky way.

"Cody" I hit his good arm and acted shocked. Iniside I was dieing of laughter.

"Well you two are..ummm...such a cute...ummm...couple?" the nurse said in a confused way. It sounded more like a question to me.

"Oh were not a couple. We're just bestfriends." I stated trying not to laugh. I love that even though we are in a hospital and Cod is getting his broken arm in a plaster we can still make each other laugh.

"I've never heard bestfriends talk like that to each other" She muttered. I don't think that we were supposed to hear it though. "That's you done"

We got up and walked out to find my mum waiting for us. We walked out into the car. Well I skipped but I think that I was delirious from the lack of sleep.

"I think that someone needs to go home and rest" said my mum. I got into the front seat this time and locked around at Cody. His eyes had already closed by the time the car had started. Mum drove us home but by this stage it was seven am.

"Right just this once you can have a day off. You both look knackered. Go to bed." She said as we walked in the front door. Cody dragged himself sleepily to my room. I was about to follow him but mum grabbed my arm. "Make sure he sleeps in his own bed please"

She went to her room and got ready to go to work. She had already missed her first job and was rushing to make it to her second. I wondered to my room. Cody was laying on his bed meaning I wouldn't have to move him. More than likely mum will check before she goes to work. I silently prayed a thank you.

I looked at my phone to see that I had a message from an unknown number.

Meet me at my house at nine. I have a plan.x.

I knew that it was Alli but how do I sneak out of the house without Cody knowing.

Okay, I might be a little later though...I'll tell you why when I get there. Xo

How was this going to work...


	20. I don't like this plan

I didn't go back to sleep. I stayed awake just in case I didn't wake up in time. My mum had come in to say goodbye before she went to work like I had expected that she would and I got out of my pyjamas and got dressed and did my hair and make up. I did it as quietly as I could so that I did wake Cody up. Wrote him a note to say that I had gone for a walk and that there were leftovers in the fridge that he could heat up if he got hungry. I put on my jacket and quietly closed the door behind me. I let out a big sigh of relief as I walked down the driveway.

It was already nine so I text Alli to say that I'd be fifteen minutes. While I walked I thought about how much school that I've missed this week. I've missed more this week than I have since the start of the year. I wondered whether Peter was right. I've really changed since Cody has been here. In every aspect. No. I'm not going to let him get the better of me.

I was almost at Alli's house, I passed by a bench at the side of the footpath and on it was a couple about my age or maybe a year or two older. They looked so cute together. I started to imagine me and Cody doing that. Acting all cuddly, my legs over his lap, he would kiss my nose and I would giggle as a response. He would continue to tease me by kissing my hands, my cheek, my forehead until he finally got to my lips. He would kiss me passionately and I would get lost in the world of us.

I snapped out of my daydream as I walked up to Alli's house and rang the doorbell. While I waited I realised that my daydream was just that. A daydream. It was never going to happen and that made me feel disappointed. Alli opened the door pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Hey" she said and hugged me. "How are you?"

"I'm good" I replied trying to believe it. "Sorry I'm late"

"Oh yeah you said you'd tell me why when you got here so...What's up?" she asked with a worried smile. We walked into the living room where she had a duvet on the sofa. She must still be 'sick'...she doesn't look sick to me. We both sat down on the sofa facing each other. I took my shoes off and swung them under the duvet.

"The sky" I winked at her.

"Smart Arse" she laughed "No really what happened?"

"Cody broke his wrist this morning" I said slowly so that she wouldn't freak. She stayed silent, this was not the reaction I was expecting.

"Was he drunk?" She asked sceptically.

"Oh no! He ahhh...he fell out of my bed while we slept..." I said my cheeks yet again getting red.

"Is he okay? How did he fall out of your bed? Wait. You and Cody?" she asked confused.

"Yeah he's fine. He's at home sleeping cause he's knackered. I don't know how he fell out cause I was asleep too and umm...no me and Cody are just really good friends." He replied to all of her questions.

"Is there a hiding meaning to 'really good friends'?" she asked.

"No. It means what it means...kind of..." I said my cheeks were burning still.

"Then why is he in your bed at night? Toni if he's taking advantage of you I will be over there like a shot" she said anger clearly shown in her features. "What do you mean kind of?"

"No he's not don't worry He's like my best friend now" I said meaning it "And well he's kind of seen me naked..."

I cringed away from her face. She burst out laughing. I stayed quiet and she stopped.

"Wait...you're being serious." She asked shock clear on her face.

"Yes. Now can we move on to your plan about Peter please?" I said trying to change the subject. She happily changed the subject.

"Well I was thinking that you and I could do a little snooping around but there's one problem." She said. I wasn't going to like this. "You going to have to pretend to forgive him so that we can get info out of him."

I stayed silent. What did I think about that? I didn't want to have to speak to him. I didn't want to have to act nice towards him after everything he has done to me even after years of friendship. He just let it all go. But...if it means that I get t know what it is he is up to I suppose I could play along for a day or two.

"I guess so..." I sighed. If we it means we find out then yes.

"Well You could pretend to make up with him. Tell him that you think Cody is a jerk and that the was right all along and then ask to go out somewhere and tell him that you've found the perfect girl for him and that's where I come in. We can all go out, you take him off somewhere and say that you don't think I will be as good for him as you thought so that you don't hurt my feelings. Make sure he eaves his phone behind and I'll cheek his messages to see if he has said anything in them which i'm betting that he has. Sound good?" she asked.

"I have to give it to you Alli. You're not a bad plan maker." I smiled at her but inside I was dying. I didn't like the thought of having to face that creep.

"I know I'm too good" she winked.

"I'll text Peter and see what he says" I sighed.

"Okay. I'm just going to put a movie in" she said and got up from underneath the duvet.

To Peter: Hi Peter, I just want to say how sorry I am for acting like such a jerk. I've realised that you're right. Cody only wants one things and I've told him to leave me alone. I don't need someone like him in my life. I'm glad I've got a friend like you to look out for me even if I didn't listen at first. I'm sorry, hope you'll forgive me? 3

"Let me see..." Alli sat back down in front of me, I showed her the message and see read it slowly. "He's an idiot of he doesn't 'forgive you'.

From Peter: I forgive you Toni and I'm sorry for acting like a Jerk too. I knew that Cody was bad news from the start but I went about the wrong way. Xo.

To Peter: It's okay. By the way I've made friends with this girl called Alli. I think she'd be perfect for you ;) x

From Peter: Really? I'll have to meet her then. ;)

To Peter: How about we meet tomorrow at the Big O after school?

From Peter: Sure I can't wait :D

To Peter: Great she can't wait too :L see you tomorrow. Love ya bye 3

It made me sick to the stomach while I was texting him. I look up to see that Alli has fallen asleep. I write her a note to say that I've left and where to meet us tomorrow. I left for the walk back home wondering how I'm going to cope.


	21. It's the trust thing all over again

I got in the front door to see that Cody had gotten up and was now watching TV. I took off my jacket and through it onto the coat wrack and went to sit beside Cody. I leaned into him, out my head in his shoulder and my feet on the sofa and he put his arms around me.

"How was your walk" he asked me.

"Huh?" I said. "oh yeah it was good. How's your arm?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore but I'm ready to rip this cast off. It's getting in my way." He moaned.

"Have you taken a shower yet?" I asked trying not laugh at him.

"Not yet but I'm dreading it" he laid his head on my head.

"Don't worry I can help you" I looked up and winked at him jokingly. He looked at me funny, did he think I was being serious? Well if he did ask me for help I probably wouldn't say no. "I used wonder why people always thought we were going out but now I know why."

"And why is that?" he asked.

"Well...look at us we basically act like a couple. We talk about the stuff that couples would, we sit together like couples would. We sleep in the same bed some nights." I explained.

"I guess your right. Maybe we should stop being so touchy feely." He said and lifted his arms from me. That was not the reaction I was hoping for.

"I have to pee" I got up and left the room so he couldn't see my face. It hurt but It's not as if we are going out so why do it hurt. I heard my phone ringing. "Will you answer that please?"

I heard him speak on the phone but it sounded as if the person on the other side wasn't answering. Must be a wrong number. I went back out to see Cody on my phone. What was he doing? He looked up at me the anger clear in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked getting anxious.

"You forgave that jerk?" he asked with clenched teeth. Oh shit.

"You read my messages? How far down did you get?" I asked. What if he seen the stuff about Alli? I snatched the phone out of his hand and looked at it. Thank the lord he didn't get that far. "What is wrong with you? You don't just read other peoples text messages!"

"I didn't think you'd have anything to his. Who's the unknown number?" he asked. He ment Alli's number.

"None of your business" I said I couldn't tell him that it was Alli's number and I couldn't tell him why I forgave Peter, there would be too many questions that came along with that answer and I didn't know how to answer them without bringing Alli into the equation.

"Yes it is. If it's about Peter and some plan that you have then I need to know. I don't want you to get hurt." He said softer. I turned around to look at him. He looked pained.

"Cody I can't tell you okay. If I could I would but I can't" I sighed.

"So now you're keeping secrets?" he asked me.

"No Cody. Look I will tell you everything when it's all over but until then you can't know." I said.

"Whatever Toni" he stormed back into the living room and continued to watch Tv like I had never been there in the first place. This relationship is getting out of hand. One minute we are all lovey dovey and then the next we are fighting the bit out. This is for your own good you just need to trust me Cody. That's the thing though does he trust me? He doesn't trust me that much when he looks through my messages. I pushed that out of my mind and lay down on my bed. I had become tired and I really wanted to sleep.

I drifted off thinking about Cody and I. What was happening to us?

I woke up to my alarm going off. I had slept right through to the next morning. Still in my clothes from last night I got up and started to take them off when the door opened and in walked Cody.

"Sorry" he said emotionlessly and walked back out again. I sighed and continued getting dressed. Once I was done I went to go get my cereal. Cody was on the laptop in the living room already dressed and Adam had already left for school as his was further away then ours.

"Cody do you want cereal?" I asked trying to speak to him. He came in the door .

"I'll do it myself." He said.

"Don't be so dramatic, Seriously do you not trust me making cereal or something?" I asked not expecting an answer.

"You don't trust me with your 'secret' so I don't trust you with my cereal." He replied.

"Well It sounded like you didn't trust me from the start because you read my messages. " I spat at him. I didn't expect it to come out like that. He grabbed his now full bowl of cereal and went back into the living room to eat it.

This was going to be so awkward today. But then again I guess that it's a good thing. It means that I can really prove to Peter that I'm not friends with Cody anymore. I guess I'm just going to have to bear it for a day or two.

I looked at the time and realised that the bus was going to be here soon. I put my bowl in the dishwasher and went to grab my bags. I didn't bother telling Cody he would follow me and if he didn't then he was going to have to get in trouble for being late at school. I stood at the bus stop waiting and like I was thinking he came out and stood beside me. It was really awkward. We didn't talk we just stood there in silence.

Finally the bus came and I got on and looked around for Peter and made my way toward him. Cody didn't follow me. He sat at the front of the bus with his head against the window. I so badly wanted to sit beside him and comfort him but I couldn't do that. I had a facade to put on. I saw Peters face and immediately I wanted to puke.

I can't wait until today is over.


	22. It was you!

The final bell had rang as a sign that it was the end of the day. I dragged myself out to the tree at the front gate where I always used to meet Peter after school. I didn't want to go through with this today. I wanted to go find Cody so that we could go home and lay on the sofa and watch bad re-runs until our side spilt with laughter. But instead I left through the gate with Peter looking back to see a pair of blue eyes, almost unrecognizable with sadness.

I looked away. If I held Cody's stare anymore I would give in and run to him and I couldn't do that, I had to get to the bottom of this. I looked over at Peter to see that he was texting someone off his phone. He looked at me funny.

"What?" he asked putting his phone away quickly.

"Oh nothing" I said trying to not sound suspicious. "Hey you wanna see a picture of Alli?"

"Sure" He was nervous about meeting her. I pulled my phone out and showed him a picture of me and her that I took yesterday so that I could show it to him. I gave it to him.

"Wow she's really pretty" he doted on her until we got to the Big O. We went in and sat down at our usual booth across from each other and Marianne came over to say hello.

"Hey kids" she smiled "How are you?"

"Heya Marrianne. We are good." I looked to Peter and he was still looking at my phone. "How are you?"

"I'm good darling." She looked at Peter too. "What's up with Peter?"

"There's this Girl that I know that I've set him up with. He's looking at a picture on my phone and has been for the last 20 minutes." I raised my voice for the last bit so that he would get the hint and hand it back. "She's meeting us here in about 10 minutes."

"Oh well then, I better see if she's good enough for you then" Marrianne bumped Peter shoulder and he blushed, she then went on about serving other people who came in. I saw a flash of blonde hair come through the door and sat beside me.

"Hey Pet" I smiled and gave her a hug. Peter just sat there staring at her.

"Hey guys" she said "You must be Peter"

She stuck out her hand and he snapped out of his daydream and blushed even more. "Uhhh... Hi"

I mentally face palmed. But she just giggled but I could see that it pained her to act polite towards him. Marrianne came back over to take our order.

"So you must be the lovely girl that gets this young chap?" she asked Alli while pulling out her note pad and pen. "What can I get you kids?"

We ordered three diet cokes and two plates of French fries. "Coming right up"

Alii started conversing with Peter animatedly and I just felt like a third wheel. By the time our food had come I was ready to give up. Here I was sitting here with a not sound proof plan and hoping for the best I mean who am I kidding. Peter isn't stupid enough to text someone about his plans but then again he is a boy and they don't think things through. I heard a beep which I thought was my phone but it wasn't it was his. He took it out and looked at it and left it down on the table. I took my chance. I nudged Alli and she noticed too.

"I think I need some fresh air" said Alli fanning herself. "It's really hot in here. Will you come stand outside with me Peter?"

"Umm...sure" he went to grab his phone but Alli pulled him out the door before he had the chance. I snatched his phone of the table and started looking at some of his messages. Mostly they were to his mum but I noticed that the one he got earlier was from a number that I didn't know. I started reading from the start of the conversation.

Number: So? How's it going with wrecking his life?

Peter: It's going quite well actually. I finally got Toni to realise how big of a Jerk he is.

Number: I don't get it though. Why do you not want Toni to be friends with him?

Peter: Because Cody's a Douche who doesn't care for anyone but themselves. He is so big headed because of his fame. He deserves to be isolated from everyone. What I did in America wasn't enough. I'm ready to make his family, his friends and everyone else against him. I'm going to meet his sister tomorrow. Toni thinks that we'd be a good match. Little does she know that I've got plans for her.

Reading these things that he has said made me feel sick. I wanted to go out there and rip his head off. But wait, he said what he did in America wasn't enough. Does that mean that he was the one who said all of those things to Cody? It kind of makes sense. Around that time Peter went on holiday to America with his family so it is quite possible. But why did he do that? I doubt that Cody has ever done anything to him. I couldn't have been him. But then again he has a really bad scar on his right arm that's about six inches long. I noticed it after he came back from America and he was never able to explain how he got it properly. It was him. I forced myself to read on.

Number: Okay so I get that you think he's a ballbag but why do you hate him so much?

I didn't get to read on. I heard a male raise his voice from outside the small cafe. I looked out the window to see another blonde head. Oh no. I got up and rushed out to see Cody getting right up into Peters face pushing him against the window.

"Cody!" I pulled him back from Peter by his shirt collar and got in front of him. He tried to push by me by I pushed his chest so that he couldn't.

"Toni, get out of my way" He said to me, teeth clinched. I heard Peter laugh in the background and I looked around to see him standing there looking disgusted at Cody. Alli came beside me and held my hand.

"What is going on here?" I asked.

"This cunt here decided he would try one on my sister." Cody pointed at Peter and he just stood there with an amused look on his face. I looked at Alli and she looked as if she was going to cry so I didn't say anything to her.

"She's too hard to resist" Peter winked. I felt Cody push against me again but I didn't let him past. Peter just laughed even more. "Even here you can't control yourself"

Cody stopped fidgeting immediately "What?"

"You think you're such a bid hard man don't you? You don't think that beating me up in America was enough but you have to do it here too?" he walked around Cody and I in a circle. "Yes that's right it was me. I was the one who sent you into a spiral of depression and alcohol."

I could feel Cody go limp beside me. He told me that if he ever saw that person again he would have quite a few things to say to them but now that the time has come he was drained.

"Alright Peter" I stopped him "Times up. What is your game here? What are you trying to do?"

"Ruin his life!" he pointed a finger at Cody and looked at me disgusted. "You're not much better than him though. The way you worship the ground he walks on. I bet he's already got you to fuck him."

"Peter! That's enough! I'm nothing but friends with Cody. He's been abetter friend in a week than you have been in five years" I shouted at him. "Why do you hate him so much. He's never done anything to you."

"That's were you're wrong. You see a year or so ago I was one of his fans. I was obsessed with your music because I cold connect to it. You see never told you or lily because I thought you would think I was a freak so I sent you letters that you never replied to saying how much you had helped me through some stuff. I sent you gifts. I sent you tweets everyday that you also never replied to. I thought that maybe you were just busy and couldn't reply so I begged my mum to take me to America to see one of your concerts. I stood outside for days just waiting to meet you but when the time came I was finally there to see you, you just ignored me. You walked right past me. You can't even say that you didn't see or hear me cause you did. You looked straight at me and you didn't even care. I was broken and decided that I would find you. But this time it wasn't so that I could praise you or tell you how amazing you were. I wanted you to feel as broken as I did. Obviously I succeeded." He poured his heart out but that didn't make me sympathise with him.

Cody bowed his head. I knew that he would tear himself apart about this for a long time. I knew that Cody loved his fans. I knew that he would do anything for them. Peter had ruined his life and now he was going to pay for it.

"I actually can't believe you" Alli said "So you think that after what you put my brother through you're going to be forgiven because you're a crazed fan. I don't think so." She grabbed my hand and I grabbed Cody's.

"Just you wait and see. He'll pay and it'll be worse than anything else that has ever happened to him" Peter vowed. I had a strange sinking feeling from within me. Cody hadn't said anything. He let go of my hand and walked over to Peter. They just looked at each other for few seconds.

"I'm sorry" Cody said with so much emotion my eyes watered. Cody wrapped his arms around Peter. Why was he doing this? After everything Peter has out him through he's the one that said sorry.

"Cody? What are you doing?" I asked and heard sobs but they weren't coming from him, they were coming from Peter.

"Why are you crying?" asked Cody.

"Cause of everything I put you through I find out that you are the person that I thought you were and now I don't think I'll be able to handle the guilt." Peter sobbed.

"It's okay. But I will tell you one thing if you try coming near me, my family or Toni again you don't want to know what's going to happen." Cody warned but in a soft way.

"I guess I understand" He whimpered. He looked over at me and Alli our hands still entwined. "I'm sorry to you two as well."

I didn't say anything and neither did Alli. We aren't as forgiving as Cody and I will never acknowledge that Peter was ever in my life, not after all of the pain he's caused. Cody let go of him and grabbed my hand and the three of us walked away from Peter. Hoping to never see him again.


	23. Do you know what that means?

I walked along the footpath. Just thinking about how much my life has changed in the past week. Would I still be friends with Peter? Would I have ever found out what he did? Would I find two true friends like Alli and Cody? I guess I have to thank Peter in a way. If he hadn't have done what he did I probably never would have meet Cody. Imagine on what I would miss out.

Once we had finished with Peter we walked to my house. We walked hand in hand and none of us spoke. We didn't know what to say. We didn't even know what to think of the event that just happened and I don't think that we wanted to talk about it. We got into my house around five o'clock and my mum was home again making dinner.

"Hey Momma" I said and gave her a hug from behind while she was cooking at the stove. Cody jumped up and sat on the bench beside her and Alli stood awkwardly beside him. She was nervous because she had never meet my mum before.

"Hey sweetie. Hi Cody" she replied.

"Hello, Mrs Mc Arthur" Cody said politely. He never spoke to her unless he was being a gentleman which made him just that little bit more attractive.

"Oh honey you're going to be here for a while so you can just call me Mum or mummy or something. It'll make it easier." She warmly smiled at him.

"Okay" he smiled back at her and she ruffled his hair. She noticed Alli.

"Oh whose this pretty young women" she winked at Alli and stuck out her hand while I took over stirring the chicken on the stove.

"I'm..uhh...I'm Alli Simpson" she stuttered.

"No need to be nervous dear. If you're anything like your brother then you're doing well already." She gave her a small hug. Alli sighed and relaxed. "Do you guys want some chicken curry?"

"Yeah" we chorused in a dead kind of way.

"What's wrong with you guys? Hard day at school?" she asked.

"Sure." I said hoping I sounded convincing. I don't think we wanted to openly talk about the whole Peter thing. I set the table with five places and mum dished out the food and called Adam. We all sat down at the table and began eating.

"So Alli, how come I haven't seen you over until now?" mummy asked being nosy.

"Well..." Alli didn't know what to say "Me and Cody kind of fell out a while ago and we only made up a couple of hours ago thanks to Toni"

"Oh look at you Toni" she said "Being a councillor. What did you two fall out about?" She was starting to annoy me. There was no need to be so nosy.

"We uhhh...He stop on my laptop with his big feet and broke it. Got really annoyed but realised that it was kind of stupid." She said. Cody burst out laughing and almost choked con his food.

"Yeah well he has got pretty big feet" I said "Do you know what that means Cody?" I tried my best not to laugh.

"What?" he asked. He blushed clearly knowing what I was talking about.

"Big shoes" I burst out laughing. I couldn't stop and Alli was giggling beside me but looked a bit disgusted that I put that image of her brother in her head. My mum just sat there looking at all three of us wondering what we were talking about although she just shook her head and continued eating.

Once we had all finished we put our dished into the dishwasher and thanked my mum for our dinner. It was starting to get dark and I didn't ant Alli to be walking home alone.

"Mum? Is it okay if Alli stays tonight? We don't have school tomorrow!" I shouted to her. Cody sighed and mumbled something about sleeping in Adams room tonight because he din't want to spend a night with two girls.

"Don't be so immature" I poked him.

"Of course as long as Angie says it's okay." She replied. We all lay on my bed one beside the other with me in the middle.

"Do you wanna stay?" I asked Alli.

"Yeah hold on two seconds and I'll ask mum" she said and began texting on her phone.

"Don't mention my name please" Cody begged her.

"Why not?" she asked curious.

"The last time I spoke to her i kind of ended up shouting at her and her at me. Toni can tell you" he said.

"What about? She said that it's okay for me to stay by the way." She smiled at me.

"She told me that I had no respect and that I was being rude and that I didn't care about her, you, dad and Tom. I got so angry because I obviously do care about all of you and she knows that." He sighed.

"Mum had been wound so tight since you basically moved here. She misses you so much. We all do." Alli explained to him.

"Yeah well you all sent me here so you're going to have to get used to it" he shot at her. I didn't want them to start fighting. They never properly spoke since what happened at their house a couple of days ago but I didn't want the tension to start again.

"Cody" I warned him. Alli started laughing.

"I swear you two act like a married couple" she continued to laugh. We both blushed. "Let's play a game"

"What kind of game?" Cody asked.

"Ummm...Truth or dare" she smiled.

"ugh" I groaned "Okay, you go first."

"Toni. Truth or Dare?" she asked.

"Truth" I replied. I knew what Alli was capable of and I didn't want to know what she would make me do.

"You wuss" she moaned "Okay then. Have you kissed someone before?"

"No" I whispered. I didn't want Cody to think that I was frigid or something. It intimidated me that he has been with all of these girls yet I haven't been with anyone.

"Okay your turn" Alli replied.

"Cody truth or dare?" I asked quietly, not wanting to play this game anymore.

"Truth" he replied. I knew what to ask him.

"Are you a virgin?" Alli stopped what she was fidgeting with and looked at me. Cody didn't didn't answer. "Well?"

"Yes" he said. I relaxed, I thought he was going to say no. I looked at Alli but she had looked the other way. I wonder why?

"Your turn" I sighed.

"I'll pass, you go Alli" he looked at her.

"Okay then Cody. Truth or dare?" she asked him with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Dare" he laughed at her expression.

"I dare you to kiss Toni." She laughed. My heart stopped. What?


	24. I don't want that to happen

What did she just say? My heart started racing and I looked at Cody. I'm pretty sure that my expression matched his. Was he going to do it? Did I want him to do it? All of that time I spent daydreaming about kissing Cody and now when it finally comes the time for it to happen and I'm not sure that I want it too. Our friendship is too valuable to ruin it over teenage hormones.

"Okay…Are you okay with that Toni?" He asked. He had wiped his face of any upset emotion but I could see it in his eyes. He felt the same way I did. We had to do it though, we couldn't show Alli that we did have feelings for each other. I would make it awkward between us. I'm sure she doesn't want to be hanging around with someone who's crushin' on her brother. Was I 'crushin' on Cody? No 'crushin' is too much of a casual word.

"Yeah sure, why wouldn't I be…?" I tried to keep my voice steady but I don't think that I managed to do it. I sat up on the bed and crossed my legs to face his side with my back to Alli who had to move too so that she could see. I'm so nervous what if I'm a bad kisser. What if I don't do it right. What if…

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Alli asked now in a hyper mood knowing that she got to make people squirm.

I looked at Cody and we leaned in. My heart was pounding in my ears and my palms were sweaty. Is this really happening? Our lips were almost touching. What would this do to our relationship? We would become really awkward. He won't want to be around me because it's so awkward. He won't want to sleep beside me anymore and we just won't be the same. There was almost nothing between our lips.

"No I can't do it" I rushed and bolted for the door. I can't kiss Cody. I want to keep him the way he is and I don't want to ruin it because of some stupid dare. I just couldn't do that. I quickly told my mum that I was going to the shop to get stuff for tonight and left through the backdoor. I got on my bike a rode to a decent shop which was almost a mile away. The feeling of the wind in my hair and in my face calmed me down. Once in the shop I picked out the stuff that Cody and I always ate. I got two of everything though because I didn't know what Alli liked and if she didn't eat something then either Cody or I would eat it.

"Are you okay dear?" I heard and unfamiliar voice ask me. She was the woman that stopped me and Cody outside M Donald's the very first night that we meet.

"Uhh…Yeah I'm fine why?" I asked confused. Do I really look upset?

"Well honey you're crying." She stated. I hadn't realised until she told me. I wiped my tears and laughed at myself for being so stupid.

"I'm sorry" I whispered.

"Sweetheart you've got nothing to be sorry about." She soothed me and rubbed my arm up and down. "What is it anyway? Was it that boy?"

"I guess you could say yes but not for the reasons that you think" I sighed. She gave me a hug which calmed me down even more. "Thank you. This made me feel better." It didn't really but I just wanted to get beck home although I do like the way she tried to help me. When most people see someone crying they don't get involved.

"You're Welcome dear. Don't let any boy make you cry okay?" she smiled at me making me smile too.

"Okay" I said and she went up to pay for her items. "Bye bye"

"Goodbye sweetheart" she waved.

I walked out if the shop, unchained my bike and out my plastic bag full of stuff over one of the handle bars and rode home. I composed myself, I didn't want to walk into the house with my face all blotchy and my eyes all puffy. That would raise quite a few questions by my mum. I got in the house to find Cody and Alli where I left them. I sat back down on the bed with the plastic bag in my hand and emptied everything out in front of us as we sat in a circle around it all with crossed legs.

"I didn't know what you liked so…yeah" I directed at Alli.

"Oh don't you worry I'll eat anything" she smiled at it all. There seemed to be no awkwardness between me and her. She gave me a smile to say that she understood. I looked over at Cody as Alli began digging into the pile of junk on the bed. He was already looking at me. He looked disappointed but once he saw me look at him smiled and changed his features completely. He stayed quiet the whole night while me and Alli talked and ate and watched a movie. He only spoke a few times trying to make it look like he was in the room with us but he wasn't.

I had to talk to Cody but I would have to wait until Alli went to sleep and since I feed her all of that food I would say that it'll be a while before she gets tired. She finally fell asleep in the middle of my bed. I didn't want to wake her up so I motioned for Cody to follow me. We both got up slowly from the bed and tiptoed out of my room and sat in the living room with the Tv on so that no one could here us talk because sometimes my mum would stay up at night to read a book.

We sat down on the sofa face to face. I sat with my knees up to my chin and he sat with his legs stretched out at either side of me. I think this is our little thing. If we are ever together and it's possible to sit like this then we always do. I think that in a way it's almost as if he is protecting me but then again it's maybe just a habit.

"So? What was that all about?" Cody asked my with his eyes laid on his lap and his fingers fidgeting with his bracelets.

"I don't know to be honest" I said truthfully. It took me a moment to answer.

"So that's it. I try to kiss you and you run out the door and don't return for about an hour and you don't know why…" he said. I could tell that he was really frustrated.

"I'm sorry. Okay?" I sighed. "I panicked. I didn't know what to do. I don't want us to ruin what we have here Cody, especially over some stupid dare. And don't even pretend that you were okay with it all. I could see that inside you felt the same way I did."

He was quiet, processing what I said.

"I guess you're right. I don't want us to get into a relationship because we are so young. We are bound to break up at some point and now that I have you in my life I don't want to let you go." He rushed.

"Do you know what? Let's just forget about it. It'll be easier that way." He agreed. "I'm drained. It;s your fault." I teased. "Look how much drama you've brought into my life."

"Shut up. Your life would be so boring and normal if I wasn't here" he grabbed my hand and we went back to my room to find Alli had sprawled all over my bed. There was no way that anyone else was getting any sleep in there tonight so I pulled Cody's bed out and we both lay down on it with our arms around each other as we both barely fit into it. If I let go of him I'd probably land on the floor.

"Night Cody, Love you" I said. Not realising what came out of my mouth.

"Uhhh…Love you too." He replied clearly taken back by the fact that I'd said it first this time and probably not for the last time.


	25. You don't know until you try

I woke up to a big thud, someone moaning and an unfamiliar weight on me. I opened my eyes to see that Alli had rolled off my bed and landed on Cody and I.

"Alli? Seriously? My bed wasn't enough so you had to lay ontop of me too?" I was joking but at the same time serious. It was Cody that had groaned, he flopped his arm over and hit me in the face with his stupid blue cast. "Jesus. You two are dead set on not letting me sleep aren't you?"

They both laughed at me and Alli got up of the top of us. I mean seriously it's not as if a single bed is big enough for the three of us. She lay beck down on my bed with her head poking over the edge so that she could see us.

"How'd you two sleep last night?" Alli winked at me.

"Oh amazingly since I was sharing a single bed with a seven foot giant" I shot back at her. I knew what she was getting at but didn't want to acknowledge it.

"I'm not that tall" Cody murmured at me still half asleep. "Alli you're really heavy"

"You calling me fat?" she teased.

"Obviously not, since you're skin and bones" I don't think he realised what he was saying.

"Can you blame me for not wanting to eat?" she said sourly.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm sorry. It's not enough I know but look at me...I'm trying now can we leave it please." How Cody had let his family down was touchy subject, especially if he wasn't that close to the person so it kind of surprised me that he was snapping back at her. They are both close from what I could tell from.

"Yes I know but do you expect me to just forget everything you put me through?" she was raising her voice.

"No I don't Alli, but what did you want me to do. Peter was talking shit about all of us but you mostly. About how much of a whore you are, About how you're so ugly and fat and about how you don't deserve to be my sister. Do you expect me to just stand there and not do something?" He told her.

"He said that?" she asked her lip wobbling and her eyes watering.

"Yes he did. Now do you know why?" he said but he wasn't looking at her. I wanted to go comfort her but I knew that this was between the two of them and I didn't want to intrude into something that I know nothing about. Alli started sniffing which caught Cody's attention. "Aww Alli I'm sorry. I promised myself I would never let you know what he said."

Cody got up onto my bed and gave her a hug. She started sobbing.

"Baby girl. Don't let what he said get to you. He was obviously talking shit. We both know that what he said wasn't true." He soothed her. I'd never seen Cody like this. It made my heart flutter.

"That's not why I'm upset though" she whimpered between her sobs.

"What's wrong then?" he asked confused.

"Mum always said that you'd done it because he'd spilt coke all over you. I always thought wow why would he do that? I would have thought that you were the kind of kid to laugh at it and buy the guy another coke. That's why I got so cold towards you. I thought that you'd let it all go to your head and when you started to get drunk and high it was just another level. I thought you were turning into all of the other young celebrities." Her sobs slowed down. "It makes me feel awful that I didn't believe in you. I just let go as soon as it got hard. I'm an awful sister."

"Alli Simpson. You're the only sister I have and the best anyone could ask for. Don't ever think different okay." By this stage ne had tear streaks on his face. I decided to give them some space so I signalled to him that I was going to leave and he nodded. I went into mum's room and lay down on the bed beside her but she was still asleep.

"Hey sweetie. What's wrong? Are Cody and Alli okay?" she asked worried.

"Yeah they're fine. Just talking some things out. It had nothing to do with me so I left them to it and here I am." I smiled at her and cuddled into her inviting arms.

"Are you and Cody okay?" she asked me. Now it was my time to worry.

"Of course why wouldn't we be" I said.

"Well a little birdy told me that something happened between you two." She tickled me.

"Mum stop. Nothing happened. I wonder who that little birdy was?" I asked teasing her. "Would that little birdy have blond hair and blue eye to match the cast on his arm."

"Okay you got me. After you left to go to the shop last night I asked Alli and Cody if you were okay. They told me that they didn't know. Well Alli Told me, Cody just stared at the floor and wouldn't look at me. I just thought that something happened." She explained. "What is the deal with you and Cody. I mean I know how he feels and I know that you know so..."

"You see that's it mum. I don't know. I want us to stay friends because that means that I will always have him because if we go out it means that we will eventually break up. We're fifteen it wouldn't last." I sighed and buried my head into her chest.

"Toni Darling. You don't know until you try." She soothed, "Does Alli know?"

"Well she does now." I covered my mouth with my hand. I didn't mean to let that slip out.

"What do you mean 'She does now'?" she raised her eyebrows.

"Okay. Something did happen last night. We were playing truth or dares and Alli dared Cody to kiss me. I wasn't sure about it at first but then I thought it's only a game so why not but I chickened. I was like I just can't do this and left." I rushed. She laughed at me. "It's not funny"

"I know sweetheart, what did he do?" she asked composing herself but let a squeak out so I hit her arm.

"He asked me what was happening between the two of us. I told him that I wanted us to stay bestfriends. He agreed with me but I both know we want more. I just don't know if I can give it to him." I whined.

"Honey, if he wants you and you want him then it'll all work out trust me" she always knew what to say when I was upset.

"Thanks mum you always help me out" I smiled at her.

"No problem oh and by the way your cousin Marisa and her family are coming to stay here for two days. I hope you don't mind, they were passing through on their way to go on holiday and decided to stop by. She's going to have to sleep in your room with you and Cody though." She said.

"Yeah I guess that's okay." I said but inside was annoyed. I finally get all of this drama over with and wanted to spend time with Cody but no I cant have that can i... "When are they coming?"

"Tomorrow night" she replied. I haven't seen any of my extended family since my granda's funeral so I don't really remember them all that well. Guess that it's time to act normal.


	26. Almost

Once I had finished conversing with my mum ny stomach rumbled so I went to go get some food. I walked out into the kitchen to see Cody and Alli cooking.

"What's going on here?" I asked. I sat up on the bench beside the stove were Cody was frying some bacon. All he was wearing was his underwear and an apron. This boy is trying to kill me.

"We decided to make breakfast. Problem?" He looked up at me and smirked.

"Uhh Yeah. You shouldn't be cooking with a cast on your arm." I said concerned that he'd burn it off or something.

"Will you chill I'm fine. My arm is fine. The cast is basically indestructible. Trust me I've tried" He moaned

"Just remember I like my food well done." I sighed.

"Well you've really got no choice. Every thing will be 'well done'" He laughed along with me. I looked over at Alli who was making pancake mix. She was quiet.

"What's up chick?" I asked her.

"Me? Oh nothing, I feel better." She murmured. I knew that she didn't though, it would eat her up more and more but I guess it's something she has to get over herself. No matter how much Cody and I console her it won't help. She poured some pancake mix into the pan and it began sizzling. I jumped down from the bench and set the table for all of us and got us all drinks.

I walked back out to the kitchen from the dinning room to see that they had set out all the food on plates. It looked so good. There was bacon, sausages, pancakes and fried eggs.

"Ohhh Cody I didn't know you could cook so well." I teased. He blushed and set the food on the table. "MUM! ADAM!"

They came into the kitchen murmuring about the nice smell and moved into the dinning room to eat their breakfast. Once we had all began to eat my mum brought up Marisa Payne's family again.

"Hey Cody, I've got some extended family coming to stay with us tonight and tomorrow night. I hope you don't mind..." she asked although it wasn't really a question more like I'm telling you this and you better be okay with it. Wait tonight?

"I thought you said it was tomorrow night?" I said accusingly.

"Yeah well there was a mix up and they are staying tonight and tomorrow night." She said looking at me. "Which means you're going to have to clean your room after this if she is for staying in there. You too." She pointed at Cody. "I don't want to give them an excuse to talk about us."

My mum is starting to treat Cody like he's not the guest anymore which is kind of rude if you ask me. She worries too much about what other people think of her. I got up from the table and put my now empty plate on the table. Cody and Alli followed me into my room after leaving their plates down. I looked around my room. It had gotten quite messy but I haven't had the energy to clean it up after everything that has happened this week. I started picking up stuff while Alli and Cody flopped down on the bed. I threw a pillow at Cody.

"Hey, what was that for?" he shouted at me.

"This is your room too y'know" I hinted so that he would help me tidy.

"No it's not, it doesn't have my name on it." He smirked quite proud that he got out of it. I walked over to my door and opened it to pull of the name tag that was on the other side. I threw it at him and stood with my hands on my hips with an amused expression. "Oh right, I don't remember doing this..."

"That's cause I did it. I kinda felt bad that it only said my name yet this wasn't only my room anymore." I explained.

"Aww that's so cute" Alli piped up.

"Right you too" I ushered them off the bed "Help me please?"

"Sure" "Fine" they both said at the same time.

"THANK YOU!" I hugged them both.

It took us little under half an hour to get everything straightened out. Cody asked me about Marisa so that he would feel so awkward about sharing a room with her like it was with me on the first night. I told him that she was fourteen, she had long straight brown hair and blue eyes. She's quite outgoing so it shouldn't be any awkwardness. I don't even know if that was true but I hoped that it was.

I walked out into the kitchen to get a drink and my mum was faffing about.

"Toni, go get dressed. Get Cody and Alli dressed too the Payne's are coming even earlier." She said puffed out. She was trying to get everything sorted out.

"How long till they get here?" I asked starting to panic. She's got me doing it now.

"About an hour and a half. That should be enough time for all three of you to get showers and get dressed right?" she asked pleading for me to make it work.

"Sure I'll make sure that we are fast" I said and went back into my room. "Cody shower now"

"What why?" he asked.

"We've got an hour and a half to get ready before the Payne's get here so we all need to get ready. Shower now." I demanded. He laughed at me and made his way to the bathroom. "Oh My God I could hit him sometimes"

"Preach it sister" She high fived me. I sat down on the bed where Cody had been.

"Are you sure that you're okay?" I asked her.

"Yeah I'm fine. It'll take me a while to get over my own stupidity. I don't think I'm going to forgive my mum very quickly for lying to me either." She sighed.

"Don't worry. If you ever want to stay here for a night or two just say and you can." I calmed her.

"Thanks but I think I need to see why she did it first." She said "She how she defends herself."

Just as Alli finished what she was saying Cody walked through the door with nothing but a towel on.

"Seriously bro? You could have at least put underwear on..." she said. "My turn"

She got up and went to the bathroom. Cody lay down next to me while adjusting his towel.

"Oh no don't do that on my account" I teased.

"Would you rather I took it off" he smirked at me. Just to tease me he started moving his towel slowly. I could almost see skin so I straddled of him so that she would stop. I don't know if I could control myself if he went any further. He laughed at me and I blushed. I looked at him and he looked at me. I felt myself leaning in towards him uncontrollably. Closer and closer until my lips were inches from his. Was I really going to do this? I got even closer until there was barely any air between us.

"Okay Toni, Your turn" Alli barged into the room. "Oh was I interrupting something?"

"No Alli it's fine" I reassured her although Cody let out an annoyed gasp. I got up off him and went to the bathroom and wondering what would have happened if Alli hadn't have walked in.


	27. Why do people not trust me?

"Toni, Adam, Cody, Alli! Get in here now! There almost here!" My mum shouted at the three of us.

"You privileged to be classed as one of her children already Alli" I said dryly although Alli laughed. We walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa.

"No,no, no get up!" She ushered us of the sofa and began fixing it by puffing up the cushions and what not. "Everything has to be perfect. Stand there" She pointed to the middle of the living room.

"Mum will you chill." I tried to clam her down "I'm sure they won't care if we sit on our sofa..."

"Toni, you don't understand. The Payne's are quite posh and I have to prove myself to my sister. She thinks that everyone that has a dead end job are really poor and can't afford to keep their house clean and tidy. In a way she is right but that doesn't mean to say that I'm not going to try and prove her wrong. And when I say posh I mean snotty okay..." She explained to us. "Now you four better be on your best behaviour. Got it?"

"Yes mum" "Yes Mrs. Mc Arthur" The four of us said at the same time.

"Oh honey" she said to Alli "Your probably going to be here a lot from now on I can tell so you can call me mom too"

"Thanks" Alli sighed. I think she finally understands that she is welcome here and my mum will treat her like me and Cody. Mum went into the kitchen to make sure everything was perfect there too. "Your mum is so cute"

"Wish I could say the same about her" I sighed. She was taking this way to seriously. I looked out the front window in to the driveway. "Mum! They're here"

"Okay everyone calm down it'll be all okay" she said finally looking calm but she was panicking on the inside. All four of us burst out laughing. "What? What's do funny?"

"Mum the only one panicking is you" I continued to laugh.

"Oh" she said as the doorbell rang. She gave me a look of warning and went to open the door. "Ellie! It's so good to see you!" she held her arms out to give her sister a hug but she just looked at mum and gave her the fake kiss on each cheek thing.

"Pleasure to see you again sister" Ellie said. "Children, Brian say Hello"

"Good Afternoon Aunt Mellissa" Both of her children chorused. There was young boy about nine years old with sandy coloured hair. I don't remember him. There was a girl who I assumed was Marisa. She was really pretty and reached out to shake my mums hand. Who are these people? They're like aliens or something.

"Hey Marisa. Jack. She said formally and shook Marisa's outstretched hand. She then looked over to Brian who I would think was Elli's husband. "Hello Brian" mum said stiffly.

"Hello Marisa" he said in the same tone.

"So, why don't you come meet my children" my mum suggested.

"Of course dear of course" Ellie cheered falsely. I plastered on a big smile and tried to act presentable at least. Ellie and her family came into the living room. "Four? Last time I saw you only had two?" she said in the snotty voice.

"Well My friend and her family have some problems at the minute so two of her children are staying here for a while. There basically my children now I suppose." She smiled at Alli and Cody and they smiled back at her.

"Well it's nice to meet all of you" she stuck her hand out and shook all of our hands. I didn't like pretending to be nice to her. Every bone in my body told me that she was false.

"You too" I replied. Trying to keep from saying too much.

"Toni, Why don't you take Marisa's bags to your room and you can show her where she will sleep." My mum suggested.

"Uhh sure" I replied and grabbed Cody's hand to come with me and naturally Alli followed. Marisa Picked up her bag and followed Also. We walked down past mums room to mine. Alli and Cody both sat on my bed and let out a sigh of relief, I don't blame them. Anyone would feel intimidated by Ellie.

"I'm sorry about my mum she can be...snobby sometimes" Marisa said and smiled at us all. I was surprised by her outburst about her mum. The way she acted out there it was as if she was a mini me of her mum. Alli and Cody didn't know what to say, they obviously thought the same as me.

"Oh it's okay, I didn't really notice anyways" I lied. Cody gave me a look as if to say what the fuck are you talking about but I ignored him and told Marisa that there was a camp bed that she would have to sleep in. "I hope you don't mind"

"No , No that's fine she said" she said "Who's bed is that though? The one below yours?"

"Oh that's Cody's he sleeps in here too" I said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Your mum lets a boy sleep in your room?" she asked astonished.

"Well she kind of has no other choice. Adam's room is too small for Cody." I said "Do you mind that Cody sleeps in here?"

"No it's okay I'll get used to it." She said.

"Alright wanna go do something?" I asked. "Like not in here cause my house is too small for so many people to do stuff..."

"Sure we can go to the park and Bring Adam and Jack too" Alli suggested. "Maybe give both of your mums time to catch up"

"That's what we'll do" Marisa said. I went into the dinning room to tell mum and Ellie what the plan was. Mum seemed okay with it but Ellie wasn't too pleased.

"To a Park? A public park?" She asked.

"Well is there any other type of Park?" I asked.

"I'm not sure about this" she let out her worries.

"Don't worry" my mum said "Toni and Cody are nearly sixteen. I'm sure together they can handle looking after a nine year old and a fourteen year old."

"That's it settled then" I said quickly trying not to let her but in and give another reason why they shouldn't go. "We'll be back in an hour or so."

I walked back to my room to get ready to go out.

"I don't trust that boy with my daughter. Especially if he's sixteen." Ellie said.

"Ellie don't worry nothing will happen trust me. And he's only fifteen." mum calmed her down. What did she mean by that? Why does she not trust him with Marisa?


	28. He wasn't Careful

"Right guys you ready? You ready Jack?" I asked him.

"Yes yes yes! Are we going to a real park that real people use?" He shouted excitedly. I looked at him confused. What happened to the quiet kid at the door?

"Oh he acts different when mums not around too" Marisa explained me. "ain't that right buddy?"

"Yeah mum just makes me feel really weird. It's almost like I have to pretend to not like people so that she will think that I'm like her..."

"Well let's not tell your mum about that sure we won't" I whispered. I guess to a young child like Jack that is exactly what his mums influence on other people is like. "Come on let's go, be back in an hour mum"

"Okay Hun keep in touch!" she replied. We all walked out in twos. Me and jack at the front leading the way. He was holding my hand and talking animatedly about some toy car that his uncle Mark got him. Cody and Adam were behind us talking about guy stuff I suppose. Come to think of it there was only two years between Adam and him. They hadn't had much time to bond since Cody started staying with us so this was the perfect time. Finally Marisa and Alli were at the back. I guess they were talking about random stuff, they were both fourteen so I guess they would get along okay.

"Are we almost there Toni?" Jack asked snapping me out of my Daydream.

"Yeah sweetie just another couple of minutes" I said, he went to pull his hand away from mine but I held on tight. I wasn't going to let him go because if anything happened to him I wouldn't be able to face Ellie. Or my mum, I understand why she was so worked up now. I looked around to see how Marisa was but saw that neither her or Alli were anywhere to be seen.

"Cody, where's Alli and Marisa?" I asked panicked, looking all around.

"Toni calm yourself. They didn't want to go to the park so they went to the shop." Cody told me. We had all stopped walking and Jack was pulling on my hand.

"But what if something happens to Marisa? Or Alli?" I quickly added.

"Marisa and Alli are big girls." He told me "Your sister can look after herself. Right Jack?" Cody picked jack up and swung him onto his back and ran on. All could hear was Jack giggling and having fun.

"Be Careful!" I called after the two of them. Sighing in defeat. Cody continued running put stuck his hand out with his thumb up.

"Calm down Sis. Cody can look after a little kid like Jack. I don't know how though. I wouldn't be able to." Adam looked at Cody who had stopped running but still had Jack on his back. I can tell that him and Adam are going to be good friends. We started walking in the direction that the were going in but in a stroll.

"Yeah he's got a brother that's around the same age as Jack. He's called Tom." I said not looking at adam. I didn't take my eyes off them two.

"Oh right." I felt that Adam and I were drifting apart. I haven't really had time to catch up with him since Cody came into our lives and he's been out with his friends a lot lately.

"What's up bro? Any girls?" I asked and nudged him as we walked along and winked at him.

"ummm no. Not yet. I wish though." He said bluntly. I would say that it wouldn't be hard for him to get a girl. He had dark brown hair and eyes with striking features. People tell us that we look a like but I can't see it "What about you? What's up with you and Cody?"

"To be quite honest I couldn't tell you. Through this whole week he has become my best friend but sometimes I think we are more than that and then sometimes I think that that is all we are." My mind wondered back to this morning on my bed and I blushed.

"There's something you're not telling me?" Adam smirked at me. "What is it?"

"Well...we almost kissed...this morning on my bed and he's seen me naked and I've almost seen him naked and oh my god I can't believe I'm telling brother all of this..." I said mortified. My blush intensifying.

"Oh come on I'm thirteen. I know how things work" I hit his arm.

"That is not how it went it was like...oh my god I am not telling you this story" I said as we reached the park to find that Cody and Jack were on the swings having a competition at who could swing the highest. Jack was winning but that was only because Cody was letting him.

"Toni! Look I'm winning!" He shouted over at me.

"Well done bud! Keep it up and beat Cody! He doesn't deserve to win!" I laughed at the two of them.

"Hey!" I heard Cody say and pull a face at me which made me laugh even more. I didn't realise that Cody was good with kids and that just made my feelings go sky high for him. Adam and I made our way over to the bench that was behind the swings.

"I see the way that you look at him. You have that face. The one that shows everyone who you really are. Where you let your features relax. You eyes go fuzzy and you smile a real smile." Adam told me.

"I just don't know what to do. We both agree that we only want to stay the way we are cause we don't want to ruin our relationship. I mean we're fifteen, if we do get together it won't. When we break up it'll become awkward until we don't talk to each other ever. The odds are stacked against us." I sighed.

"Well now it's your job to prove those odds wrong" Adam said what I wasn't expecting him too. I didn't have time to reply because Alli and Marisa came around the corner. Thank god. Now I can breathe. I looked at Adam who was staring at Alli.

"Uh uh no way" I said suddenly "She's a year older than you and Cody's sister so there is no way that I'm going to let that happen."

"But-" he got cut off by Marisa.

"Hey guys what's up?" she asked.

"Oh nothing much. Just watching these to act the eejit" I laughed. Marisa looked over to see her brother and Cody swinging. Jack noticed that she was here and slowed down to get off and run over to her.

"Marisa! Guess what?" he said out of breathe.

"What bud?" Marisa asked but she was staring at Cody who had gotten off the swing and was making his way over here. His hair was wind swept from the swinging and it made him look a lot more sexier.

"Cody's my big brother now! Isn't that cool!" he said to her.

"Does that mean that he's my big brother too?" she said more to Cody than to anyone else as he walked up and stood beside. I didn't like the tone of her voice.

"If that's what you want?" Cody said back in the same tone. I didn't like this. I sat there for a minute watching the two flirt with each other until I couldn't take it anymore. I had to get away from them. I got up from the cold damp bench and walked as fast as I could out of that park. I half expected Cody to follow me but when I looked back around I saw that he had stayed in the same place talking to her. It was as if he didn't even notice that I had left.

As soon as I got around the corner I felt the tears running down my checks. I felt a hand on my shoulder turn me around. It was Adam with Alli running up behind him. I took one look at the both of them and broke down in tears. Adam pulled me into a hug. He was taller than me by almost half a head and it felt so good to be in someone's arms that didn't belong to Cody. Right now I couldn't care less what he was doing or who he was with, but I knew that was a lie.

"It's okay sis. I know. I know. It'll be okay." He soothed me by rubbing my back up and down. They both knew how I felt so I didn't try to stop the sobs that wracked my chest. I was glad they knew but at the same time I don't know why I'm acting like this. Cody's just my friend. I don't own him.

"Toni? Are you okay?" I heard someone shout from behind Adam. I looked up to see Cody coming around the corner holding Marisa's hand but let go of it and ran to me. I didn't want to see him. I didn't want to talk to him so I ran too. I didn't know where I was going but I just ran. "Toni! Wait!"

"Cody just leave her!" Alli shouted at him. I could tell that she was kind of annoyed with him too by the tone of her voice but I didn't know what reason she had to be annoyed.

"What did I do?" Cody asked her. I didn't hear her answer. I was overreacting but I didn't care. I just ran.


	29. It snapped like I did

I don't know how long I was out there for but I ran for as long as my body would let me. Although this time the familiar setting rushing by and the thumps of my feet hitting the pavement didn't calm me down. What was I going to do when I go home? I didn't come home with the rest of them so what would my mum do? What would Ellie do? What will I do?

I stopped running and sat down on the ground with my back against a near by wall. I sat facing the traffic wizzing past and just thought about things. I thought about how Cody had done this to me even though he's knows that I feelings for him and vice versa. I just don't understand it. Well actually I kind of do, Marisa is way prettier than me, she's got a better personality and not as damaged. Who wouldn't go for her anyway?

I thought about Adam. He's grown up a lot in this past week and I haven't been there to see it. In my head he's still the ten year old kid who used to come to me about everything and now he was the one to comfort me when I was down. I need to start doing more things with him or at least including him in what I do. I miss him so now is a great time to get to know the new him.

I thought about how stupid I am. I am over reacting by so much. I don't own Cody so therefore have no control over ho he likes, sees or goes out with. End of story. Although I knew that was the end of it. He wasn't mine but I still wished that he was, I wish that Marisa Payne and her family had never walked into my house this morning. It's going to be so awkward when I go home. Everyone is going to be like what's wrong? Where have you been? Why did you run off? I guess I'm going to have to face the music.

I got up from the spot beside the wall and walked back the way I came. It took me twice as long to get home but I didn't really care. The longer it took the better right now. By the time I had gotten to the bottom of my drive I had stopped crying but I'm sure that my eyes were puffy and red. I walked in through the front door to find all the minors sitting in the living room and all the adults in the dinning room. I walked straight past living room and into the kitchen.

I saw that my granny had called around with one of my uncles which was Ellie and my mums brothers called Robert but we all called him Ned or Rover. I don't know why we called him that though, I think when I was younger I couldn't pronounce Robert right so it came out like Rover and it just stuck. I walked through the kitchen and into the dinning room.

"Hey Granny. Hey Rover." I tried act surprised and happy that they were here but I don;t think I quite made it there.

"Hey sweetheart, How are you?" She smiled and Rover but his thumb up in the air to greet me as he had food or something in his mouth.

"Hey Hun. How was your run?" My my asked. I looked at her and her face said 'I will find out what's wrong later' How did she know that I went for a run?

"It was good, I ran as far as I could which was about from the Park until just before the beach." I smiled at her.

"Well Done Toni, I was just telli-"

"I didn't know that you ran. I didn't know that you would be skinny enough to run that far." Ellie cut my mum off. I wasn't skinny enough?

"Now Ellie, there's nothing wrong with Toni. If she wants to run let her. And I don't see how she's 'Not skinny enough' I mean look at her. The weight is falling off her, she almost looks to too skinny." My Uncle corrected her. I smiled at him as a way of thanking him. He wasn't into big shows of affection and doesn't really voice his opinions so for him to say something like that was not normal.

"Yeah well I didn't expect you to be able to run. Now Marisa can run. She has been part of the cross country team at her school since she started there. Last year she came first place and the year we are hoping that she-" I tuned out. I didn't want to here how Marisa was so much better than me in her snotty voice. I already knew that. I slowly made my way out of the kitchen not wanting to listen to her and decided to at least go into the living room to show everyone that I was alright.

"Hey guys." I plastered a fake smile on my face but it faltered when I saw that Cody and Marisa were both playing with Jack. They didn't even look up when I came in. I sat down beside Alli on the sofa who was sitting beside Adam.

"Hey are you okay?" They both chorused, similar look of worry clouded their features.

"Yeah I'll be fine" I said with no emotion.

"Ahahahaha Oh My God Cody you're so funny" Marisa burst out into fits of laughter at something probably wasn't funny at all.

"I can't take this" I said, got up and made my way to my room. Alli and Adam followed me, I guess they didn't want to be around them either.

"Where are you guys going?" Cody suddenly noticed us and asked.

"Oh No where. It looks to me you're pretty occupied here so we thought we would leave you alone. You know...just being polite." Adam said with sarcasm think in his voice, we were being anything but polite.. He turned on his heel and walked out again. I let out a bubble of giggles.

"See I can defend you too" Adam smiled at me. I gave him a hug.

"You're not my little brother anymore. You're like my big brother." I said looking up to him.

"Glad to be at your service" he smiled once more making me feel better. All three of us piled on my bed landing ontop of each other limbs but we couldn't be bothered to move so we didn't. We talked about random stuff. It made me forget about Cody and for that I was thankful. I noticed that Adam and Alli get on very well, better than I would have expected them too. But no. I wasn't going to let them go out with each other, it would be so awkward.

When they were basically flirting with each other I kicked Adam in the shin. He looked at me funny and gave him a look as if to say 'Stop it'.

"My foot slipped sorry" I laughed trying to cover it up so Alli wouldn't think suspiciously. I heard a knock on the door. Who is it? "Come in?"

In walked Cody with Marisa, they both had smiles plastered on their faces and I looked at Alli and pretending to shove my finger down my throat which made her laugh. Cody looked up and saw what I was doing.

"Toni, can I talk to you for a second. Alone?" he stated.

"What makes you think I want to talk to you?" I said with a dead serious face which made Adam and Alli burst into a fit of giggles.

"Oh I'm going to make you talk to me" he walked out of the room and I followed him not wanting to make a scene in front of Ellie and Brian. I knew what was going to come when I walked into the living room and seen him sit down on the end of the sofa that he always did. I sat down on my end but I didn't put my legs up the way we normally did.

"What do you want?" I asked not wanting to sound rude but that's the way it came out. I knew what was coming but I didn't want to have to face it. I looked up to see his face, he was thinking about something.

"What's up with Adam and Alli?" he asked. Wait? What? I wasn't expecting that. Does he not notice what he's doing to me at all?

"I don't know what you're talking about..." I said but I knew exactly what he was on about.

"No you do though. What is it you're not telling me?" he forced out.

"And so what if I do know. They're kids, let them do what they want." I said and then I realised that I was being selfish by not letting Adam flirt with Alli because if that's what he really wanted why should I stop him. "It's not like you care anyway. You're too busy with Marisa to even notice what has happened in the past hour?"

"Why? What happened?" That was it, I could feel the invisible wire that holds two friends together snap. I felt it break apart in a second as if it wasn't that string to begin with.

"You know what. It doesn't even matter. I'm going to sleep." I said and walked out of the room and into mine. "Marisa, Cody wants you"

I knew that he didn't but if it meant that I wouldn't have to look at her face then happy days.


	30. Where does this leave us?

I woke up to someone kicking my stomach. What how can they be doing that?

I open my eyes to see that I am lying at the bottom of my bed and Adam was kicking me in the stomach in his sleep beside Alli. How did we all sleep in this bed through the night? I was so cramped so I got up to walk around a little. Mum, Ellie, Brian and Jack were still asleep so I had to be quiet. I looked at what time it was, it was right am which isn't that early so I decided to go watch Tv until everyone got up. My memory of yesterday evening flashed back into my head. I didn't want to think about it to I concentrated hard on the image on the Tv.

I heard the door to the living room open and in walked Cody with Marisa in his tail. I did not want to be in their company right now but I didn't want to move so I just stayed there,

"Good morning?" I mumbled.

"Morning Toni" Marisa replied cheerfully "What are we going to do today?"

I shrugged my shoulders. Cody didn't answer my greeting. They both sat on the sofa beside each other. Whispering and giggling.

Whey Toni what's your favourite colour?" she asked. What's with the stupid questions?

"I dunno" I replied bluntly. I got up and left the room and walked straight into Adam and Alli who were making their way to the living room. Immediately they let go of each other hands but I saw it before they did. "It's okay guys. I'm being selfish by not letting you two get together so yeah...you can. But noting to graphic in front of me please...or Cody I don't want him to blow up in front of everyone just cause you two are sucking face."

"Thanks Toni" I exclaimed and gave me a hug. I gave Alli a wink from over his shoulder and she blushed. I let go of Adam and began to walk in the opposite direction of them. "Where are you going?"

"To get dressed and I don't really want to be in that room with _them" _I replied.

"I'll come with you" Alli said and gave Adam a look and let go of his hand again. We both walked back to my room and I threw myself on Cody's bed. Not my own.

"So what are we going to do today?" Alli asked as she sat on cody's bed too with her legs crossed. I pulled the sheets up around me an shrugged again.

"ummm...should we go into town? There's not a lot to do around here for teenagers our age." I said.

"Yeah we can go into town or the cinema? We could go see the Amazing Spiderman with Andrew Garfield" Alli drooled over him. I suppose it couldn't hurt. I got up and pulled out some clothes to wear and some for Alli to wear. We both got dressed and went to tell the others what the plan for today was. Everyone got dressed and I went and told my mum where we were going.

"Of we go" I said as we walked out the door. The cinema was only two minutes down the road so it didn't take long to walk there.

"What are we going to see again?" Marisa asked. Is she seriously that dozy.

"Spiderman" I said.

"Oh okay" she said with disappointment in her voice. What? Was she thinking that we were going to see some stupid chick flick? I heard whispering behind me and I was sure that it was her and Cody. We finally got there and got our tickets and went in. I sat down beside the wall.

"Hey Toni? Is it okay if I sit beside you?" she asked quietly.

"Umm..well I told Alli that I'd sit beside her" I told her lieing. I felt bad but I didn't want to have to here her and Cody whispering to each other the whole way through this movie. Alli came and sat beside me. I sat through the movie barely keeping up with the story the Andrew and Emma were telling me. Once it had finished I doubted that I would be able to tell you what had happened. I was too busy thinking about what had happened between me and Cody. What would it be like between us after Marisa left tonight?

We all went to McDonald's after we left the cinema as it was already lunch time. Four more hours and Marisa would be out of my life for a long time I hoped. We all ordered and ate and decided to walk back home. This time when we walked everything had changed except me and Jack. Cody and Marisa were both walking at the front leading everyone holding hands. Alli and were in front holding hands a giggling and then there was just me and Jack at the back. Everything had changed in twenty four hours and I felt that everyone had moved on and left me behind to find my own way.

"You'll never leave me. Sure you won't Jack." I looked down at the nine year old who was being very quiet. "What's up bud?"

"Cody's supposed to be my big brother. Not Marisa's" he sighed. I could tell that he was hurt. "

"Aww honey don't worry. I'll tell him to get his priorities straight" I smiled at him.

"Thanks Toni" he was quiet for the rest of the walk home. We all got in and made our own ways. Me and Jack went into the living room to watch Tv. Alli and Adam went to his room I guess and Cody and Marisa went to our room. Jack just looked up the hall to my room where Cody and Marisa disappeared to.

"Come on Bud" I said to him "Let's watch The Simpsons" He sat up beside me and held my hand.

"Toni? Will you be my new big sister?" He asked. "I don't think Rissa wants to be my sister anymore"

"Jack Honey of course Marisa wants to be your sister. Why wouldn't she?" I asked.

"Because now she's got Cody as a brother. She doesn't need me anymore." Jack said in his little voice. That's it.

"Well let's see about that shall we" I got up and marched straight to my room and barged in. "Cody can I talk t o you for a minute? Alone."

"Right now? I'm kind of bus-"

"Now Cody." I cut him off. I walked back into the living room and Cody followed. "Jack honey you can go talk to Marisa now if you want."

He got up and ran down to my room.

"What's wrong with you Toni? Since Marisa cam yesterday you've been such a bitch." He spat at me. "You've been ignoring her and being rude towards her."

"No I haven't. She's been doing that to me. Why do you care about me anyways? You've been so wrapped up in the world of Marisa you haven't seen how quiet Jack has been today?" I said to him.

"No I haven't why? What's wrong with him?" he looked behind him in the direction that Jack had gone. "And yes you have been rude towards Marisa. She has tried to reach out to you more than once today and you just shook her off every time.

"He thinks that Marisa doesn't want to be his sister anymore because she's got you as a new brother..." I told him.

"He thinks that. But I'm supposed to be _his_ big brother..." he mumbled.

"Yeah well you're not acting like it. You're supposed to be my best friend and your not acting like it." My voice was raising on each word. "you're too busy trying to get Marisa to realise that you're hurting other people!"

"Who? Toni. Who else am I hurting?" his voice was getting louder too.

"ME!" I screeched "Me Cody"

"How? I haven't said or done anything to you..." he whispered the hurt clear in his voice.

"Exactly. You haven't said one word to me today. You changed completely when Marisa came into the equation. Why don't you two just go get married and make babies already?" I knew that I was being immature but I didn't care.

"What you think that I like Marisa?" Cody asked.

"Well it's kind of clear that you do. I actually thought that we were getting somewhere in our relationship but obviously I was wrong." I stated trying to hold back tears.

"Hold up a minute. I don't like Marisa in that way but did I like having a conversation with a girl other than you? Yes, yes I did." We were moving closer and closer to each other.

"Prove it" I whispered. I didn't think he would hear it but we were only inches apart from each other.

"You really want me to prove it?" he asked moving his head closer to mine. I nodded. He crushed his lips into mine and immediately we started moving our lips in sync. It wasn't sweet and passionate, it was rough and needy. All of those times that we nearly kissed were poured into this one. I tangled my hands into his hair and he moaned. I could feel the heat rise with in us as he put his hands up my shirt and started rubbing my sides and lower back. This is the best I had felt in a long time and I didn't want to end but finally we both pulled away from each other for air. I laid my head on his shoulder and laid his on top of mine.

"So where does this leave us now?" I asked.


	31. You're Almost Legal

"Well I guess we are more than just best friends now" he chuckled. I could feel his chest vibrate through mine.

"To tell you the truth we've always been closer to each other than most normal best friends are" I replied just succumbing to the feeling that I got from being in his arms. I never wanted to leave them but I heard the door of the living room open and Marisa popped her head in.

"Oh sorry, I'll leave you two be" she whispered. I think she was scared that I'd give her a rude remark or something but I was going to give her the exact opposite.

"Marisa! Wait!" I pulled away from Cody and went to get her. She came back into the room with her head down looking at the ground.

"Yeah" she whispered but I caught her off guard by giving her a hug. I squeezed her so tight.

"I need to apologize to you. I'm sorry for being so rude and blunt with you. I just thought that you were pulling Cody away from me and I just couldn't handle it. I'm sorry." I tried to let g of her but she wouldn't let me leave her arms.

"Seriously? I was so worried that you hated me for no reason. I'm s glad you're talking to me properly and I forgive you. I would have probably done the same thing if I was in your position." She pulled back from me and held me by my shoulders with a big smile on her face. "Oh and I've got something for you."

She squealed and ran out of the room to get whatever it was she wanted to give to me. I looked around to Cody who was standing sheepishly behind me with his hands in his pockets.

"You knew about this didn't you" I asked him and poked him in the stomach, which turned into tickles which turned into a tickle fight which turned to the both of us laying on the floor panting from laughing and screaming at each other to stop.

"Okay, Okay! I surrender" I told him so that he would stop when Marisa came back into the room holding a wrapped square the size of a book. She handed it to me without a word and out her hands behind her back and gave me a look which said 'omg open it already' so I did. I peeled the wrapping paper of it carefully.

"Toni Hurry up, it's not as if you're going to use the paper again." Cody stated.

"But it's too pretty to rip." I stuck my tongue out at him and went extra slow just to piss him off. Once I had finally peeled it all off, I was looking at the back of quite a heavy book. I turned it over and gasped. It was a scrap book. On the front it had delicate letters and a photo of all of us together that my mum had taken before we left for the park yesterday. I sat down on the sofa and flicked through it. The outer cover was hard but inside there was coloured paper with handwritten quotes and a photo with me and everyone else individually on each page as well as a little message from that person that I was in the picture with.

I got to the second last filled page. On it there was a picture of me and Cody in Mc Donald's Today. We were both sitting at the kiddies table just like on our first night together in Mc Donald's. I had my head threw back laughing and Cody was just staring at me in awe. Beside it in his scrawly handwritten he had wrote:

_Toni, I know I haven't known you for as long as I would like but it feels as if I have known you all of my life. You've helped me get over some things that I don't think I could of if you weren't there to help me. I'm glad to have you as my best friend and I hope that you never change. Love Cody 3_

By the end of it I was crying. I carefully set the book down beside me on the sofa scared that it would crumble in my hands and sprung up from the sofa a grabbed Marisa in the tightest hug I could get her into. I kept chanting thank you's and this is the best present ever to her.

"Well i thought that since you let me sleep in your house and room that I had to repay you so I made this. You can add more to it cause I didn't fill it all, once it's finished you'll have to show it to me. Okay?" she said to me or more like demanded.

"Of course. I don't want you to leave now" I cried even harder.

"I'll tell you what. I'll come back during the next holiday. How does that sound?" she smiled at me.

"Oh my god. Yes." I exclaimed. "Where's Alli and Adam?"

"There in your room with Jack. We should go down to them and we can chill before we have to leave." Marisa suggested.

"Sure" I grabbed Cody's hand and we followed her to my room. I wiped my tears before I faced them, I didn't want them asking questions. I went in and saw that Adam and Alli were both lying at the side of my bed and Jack was in between the two of them talking about something random.

"Hey guys" I greeted them.

"I see you've all made up then" Alli stated.

"Yeah I'm over being a bitch" I laughed and they all laughed with me. I sat down on Cody's bed with my back against the wall and my feet up on my bed. Cody did the same and Marisa sat on my computer chair. We stayed like this for hours just talking and laughing and through that whole time my hand never left Cody's.

Surely enough it was time for Marisa, Jack, Ellie and Brian to go. Of course I cried when Jack gave me his favourite toy that hadn't left his hand since he had gotten here and Marisa gave everyone a hug but she lingered with me. I was crying like a baby. Since when have I become so emotional? We all stood on the front porch and waved them off.

The five of us walked back into the house. My mum said that she was tired so she went to bed while me, Adam Cody and Alli parked ourselves in my room. We lay top to tow on my bed facing each other. The bed had a high frame at the end so Cody and I propped pillows up against it and lay there. I still hadn't let go of Cody's hand and Alli noticed she gave me a look as if to say we'll talk about this later and I rolled my eyes. We chatted and talk until we all started yawning.

"Well I think it's maybe time to go to bed" Adam said. He could barely keep his eyes open. He started getting uo of the bed.

"Hey Alli did you tell mum that you were staying here tonight again?" Cody asked.

"Yeah I did" she said. She was kind of jittery. What was wrong with her? "I think I'm just going to sleep in with Adam Tonight. Ya know. Give you two more room" she said sceptically. Adam froze and Cody's head snapped in her direction.

"Oh hell no" Cody said. His face getting red and I could see the anger bubble from with in him. "No way. That's not happening."

"Come on Cody." Alli said with her hand on her hip "It's not as if anything's going to happen. I mean come on we are just kids" She stated. Adam looked nervous, as if he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. Cody looked back and forth between the two of them.

"What exactly is happening between you two?" He asked "I mean he's thirteen and you're a year older than him"

"You're the one that has a song called Age Is Just A Number" she shoot back at him.

"What? A song? What are you talking about?" Adam asked confused. I forgot that he doesn't know bout Cody.

"Nothing." Cody, alli and I said at the same time. He just shrugged to tired to make sense of it.

"Will you stop being so possessive. You don't own me." Alli said.

"I know what runs through thirteen year old guys minds Alli, I was there once." He said not looking at anyone.

"Hey dude. I'm not going to do anything okay. Me and Alli are just real good friends right now so nothings going to happen." Adam said.

"Yeah me and Toni are just 'real good friends' too and that didn't stop us" Cody mumbled. My face immediately went red.

"What did you say?" Adam asked getting closer to Cody "You're not one to go on about age. Are you not like seventeen or something? Toni's only fifteen and don't think I haven't noticed the way you look at her, as if she's food."

And in that moment I died. This could not get any worse.

"I'm fifteen. Born 11th of January 1997. Okay so that makes me fifteen not seventeen." He stated.

"Whatever dude. You're almost legal so in my eyes you're the enemy here, but let me tell you one thing. If you hurt Toni in anyway I swear to god you'll not be able to have children and I'll make sure of it myself. Come one Alli, let's go." He stretched out his hand and she took it walking out of my room and into his. Beside me Cody was livid. I held his hand and rubbed his back trying to get his to calm down.

"Cody calm down. Alli's fourteen now. A bid girl. It was kind of inevitable that she would start dating soon." I soothed him.

"Yeah but it so hard to let go. I mean she in the room next to me for gods sake" he said to me. I smashed my lips into his hoping that it would make him forget about Adam and Alli. This kiss was just like the first one although it wasn't as rough it was sweeter. I could feel all the tension leave his body through that kiss and he eventually calmed down but we didn't stop. He lay down on the bed and I straddled him just like yesterday morning. I could feel his muscles through his thin tank top making me want to rip it off him but I controlled myself. I could feel s his hands creeping higher and higher up stomach. I pulled back for air and rolled off him and lay beside him both of us panting.

"Oh and Toni, I'm still mad" Cody laughed at me.


	32. When will it end

I woke up the next morning to find that I was lying in the same position as I was when I fell asleep. Neither Cody nor I had changed out of our clothes from the night before so they were creased and wrinkled but during the night Cody had pulled his tank top off. I started drawing random patterns over his chest and stomach outlining his muscles. I could have sat there for hours just aimlessly gliding my fingers over his smooth skin.

"Toni" he said making me jump. I looked up at his sleep filled eyes.

"How long have you been awake?" I asked.

"Long enough" He smirked. I stopped drawing on his skin.

"Who told you to stop?" He asked feigning hurt. He didn't mind it so I continued to do it while his eyes bored into me.

"What's wrong? Have I got something on my face?" I asked touching my face.

"You're so beautiful" he smiled at me taking my hand that was drawing on his skin and brought it to his lips. I blushed. "Toni can I ask you something?"

"Sure" I said "You don't have to ask if you can ask a question silly"

"Do you really like me?" He asked resting his hand on his cheek with his on top of it. Why was he asking this?

"Yes I do." I said with confidence "I think that it's more than just liking you though and it would kind of be bad if I gave you my first kiss and then not like you."

"I feel the same way towards you" He sighed in relief when he heard my answer. "Wait, that was your first kiss?"

"Uhhh...Yeah" I said now embarrassed. He shrugged it off and carried on talking.

"I know before you said that you didn't want to ruin our relationship but I think it'll make it stronger if we get together. We can prove everyone wrong. Everyone that says we won't last. Everyone that says we are too young. Everyone that doesn't believe in us. We can prove them wrong"

"You're right. We will prove them wrong" I said although I wasn't as sure as he was.

"So what do you say Toni? Will you be my girlfriend?" he whispered in a seductive tone. He knew I wouldn't be able to resist his voice like that.

"Yes" I smiled at him and he pulled me in for a kiss. He was such a good kisser. It was short and sweet but it was still enough to take my breath away and leave my lips tingling. Did he know that he had this affect on me? I heard a knock at the door and I pulled away.

"Come in!" I shouted to whoever it was. Cody groaned and flopped his arm over hitting the side of the bed with his cast and let out and even bigger groan. I giggled.

"I can't wait to get this stupid thing off!" he shouted just as Alli opened the door and walked in and gave us a look.

"I thought something was going on in here from all the moaning" she smirked looking at our tangled limbs.

"Alli wise up" he was obviously still annoyed with her from last night.

"Jeeez just trying to make it a little less awkward" she stated and plonked herself down on the bed.

"Yeah well if anything you're making it worse" he mumbled with his casted arm slung over his face. He was being rude of I dug my elbow into his side.

"Ow" I gave him a look and he apologized to Alli just as Adam walked in. He stopped as soon as he saw the way we were all lying on the bed and narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything. He knew that I would give back what he gave me so he knew to keep his mouth shut.

"You two look cosy" Alli smirked. She was dead bent on making me and Cody look guilty. I ignored her remark.

"We always sleep like this" Cody stated. "I don't know what you're talking about anyway cause if I was to walk into his room about half an hour ago I would probably have seen you two all cuddled up so don't get at us, okay?"

"Cody will you shut up. You're are not making it any better." I warned him.

"You're lucky your bed doesn't squeak when you move" he carried on going ignoring me.

"You wouldn't have heard it anyway. Toni's bed squeaking was loud enough" Adam said from the doorframe.

"What are you talking about? My bed doesn't squeak." I stated.

"Yeah it does" Alli giggled. Cody lifted his arm from his face.

"But we didn't do anything to make the bed squeak" He said. I blushed maybe they heard us making out last night.

"Of course you didn't" Adam said sarcastically.

"Oh My God Adam you of all people should know that i wouldn't do that unless I was ready so stop butting into something you know nothing about" I spat at him.

"How do I know he wouldn't pressure you into it" Cod shot up from the bed and had pushed Adam against the wall in all under a second.

"What did you say?" he said through clenched teeth. Adam had gotten him really angry, I got up off the bed and so did Alli, both of us trying to pull him back but he was rooted into the ground.

"You heard me" Adam said back at him. They were inches from each other and I was scared that Cody would hit him. So I put on my shoes, grabbed his and his tank top and threw it at him.

"Come on Cody" I said to him "We're going for a walk"

He slowly backed away from Adam and walked out the door putting his tank on as he left.

"You better stop taunting him when we come back because if he hits you don't blame anyone but yourself." I spat at him. "Tell mum we went for a walk or something" I gave Alli a look and left following Cody to the front door where I found him on the front step putting on his shoes.

I sat down beside him and put my hand on his back, he was shaking but I couldn't tell if it was from anger or whether he was just upset. He put hid head in his hands.

"Hey, it's okay. Don't worry" I whispered.

"It's not okay though" His voice broke "For a split second I saw Adam as Peter and I was ready to lift my fist and hit him. If you hadn't stopped me I don't know what I would have done." Tears were streaming down his face. I pulled him up from the step and tugged his hand to make him walk with me because if he stayed in the same position he would continue to get worked up. He was like me, if he ever got angry or frustrated he ended up crying.

"I'm sorry Toni." He walked beside me and I swayed our hands between us. "I shouldn't have done that. He probably hates me now."

"No he doesn't. You know you may not think it but you're a both in the same position in this problem" I told him.

"How?" He asked and stopped walking.

"Over protective brother." I explained to him. He laughed dryly and just looked at me. I wiped the tears from his eyes and cheeks and just held my hand there. He leaned down to kiss me and I let him. I could feel all his tension through that one short kiss. I pulled away but a little too quickly, he tried to find my lips again but I wouldn't let him.

"You'll have to catch me first" I laughed and sprinted away from him laughing so hard. I could here him running after me laughing. Good maybe I can take his mind of Adam and Alli. When will this drama ever end.


	33. Not Here

Cody and I strolled along the road while holding each others hand for ages just talking about stuff. Not important stuff, just stuff. But it made us feel like there was nothing going on in our lives. It made us feel normal to do normal things. We came upon a Walmart.

"Oh My Gosh we have to go in" I squealed.

"It's just Walmart" calm down Cody chuckled at me.

"Push me around in the trolly" I said as I climbed inside. It was early Sunday Morning so there wouldn't be many people about. More room for us. I sat down on the empty bottom of the trolly and Cody started pushing through the front doors. I was wrong there were quite a few people here but then that was good too. It meant that the security guards or workers wouldn't see us as easy. I took out my phone and started randomly taking picture of me and Cody pushing me along.

Suddenly Cody burst out in a run and started running all over the show. I was having so much fun and couldn't contain my laughter as he dumped a pile of stuff in the trolly as we went by. Including a pair of SpongeBob pyjamas trousers. They were only six bucks. A bargain if you ask me.

"Hey you!" I heard from halfway across the store. I looked around and saw one of the workers trying to get us to stop. "Stop right there"

"What are you doing?" I asked Cody as he stopped the trolly and stood there.

"Trust me it's better if we stop now rather than him catching us later." He replied. The man finally caught up to him. I recognized him as one of the guys that my granda supervised when he worked here. He was middle aged with greying hair.

"Toni? Is that you?" he asked.

"Uhhh...Yeah Aiden it's good to ahh...se you" I got out. In fact it wasn't good to see him. I knew e wasn't up to any good. He was always horrible to me when I came into talk to granda.

"What are you doing in here? Why are you getting oushed about in a trolly? Do your legs not work or something? Are you disabled or something?" he asked me in a harsh tone.

"Here wait a minute. I made he get in the troll-"

"You shut up" he pointed a finger a Cody who tried to explain to him. "Toni, What would your granda say to you if he saw what you were doing?"

"You have got no idea what you're talking about. You didn't know my granda. You just worked for him so did say shit about him." I stood up and started climbing out of the trolly. "Don't tell me he would be disappointed blah blah blah because you just don't know. So don't stick your nose in shit that doesn't belong to you."

I was getting angrier and angrier so I had to talk away. I grabbed the SpongeBob Pyjama Pants and I stormed away from him. I didn't want to look at his face any longer so I walked towards the directions of the checkouts so that I could pay for the pyjama pants. I could here Cody running after me. He put his hand on my shoulder and I spun around to meet him.

"Hey Hey" he soothed noticing that I was holding back tears. He pulled me into a hug so tight I could barley breathe but it was comforting. "Don't listen. Block it out. Don't think about it."

"He just doesn't understand though. Things like that get me so angry and now look at me" I said tears escaping from the corners of my eyes. "It makes m look weak when I cry but in fact I'm just angry."

"Shhh" he whispered rubbing his hand up and down my back slowly.

"Wow no need to block the whole Isle. We can see that you 'in love' no need to carry on anymore" a random man with a trolly trying to get by us said.

"An 'Excuse me' would have sufficed" I spat at him more tears streaming down my face. People get me so worked up and I just can't help it. I walked further on down the isle and paid for my pyjamas. Cody just followed me, we were both quiet but he held my hand and rubbed circles into the back of it with his thumb. We don't have to speak to communicate just being in each others company is enough sometimes.

"You ready for this?" ready for what I asked him confused. He didn't answer but very quickly he bent down and threw me over his shoulder and ran out of the Walmart with Aiden shouting at us but right now I didn't care. Cody was the only one that could really make me laugh and smile when I thought that the world was against me.

"Cody put me down" I hit his back. People were giving us funny looks as we walked along the road back the way we came.

"No" I laughed.

"Cody I'm being serious set me down" I tried to be serious but I laughed making it sound funny. I hit his back one more time.

"Okay okay" he set me down and I leaned against the wall briefly trying to get my breath back from laughing so hard. Cody leaned against me on the wall with his hands on my side. I looked up to him to see that we were centimetres apart. I looked into his eyes and he leaned in to kiss me but I turned my head so he got my cheek instead. I giggled.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Cause you've been a bad boy. You should be punished" I whispered to him." Playing with the back of his neck. He leaned in again and this time I let him because I couldn't resist him. He broke away from my lips and started tracing kisses down my neck and back up again. I softly groaned and I knew that it was making him go wild. I started fingering the waistband of his jeans and he looked at me with big eyes. Lust plain in them and he crashed his lips into mine again. I could feel us relieve some tension. Just being together calmed us a little but when we got like this it helped in more than one way. I heard a driver honk the horn of their car bringing me back down to earth. I pulled away from his kiss and we both sighed. He laid his head on my shoulder. They were good sighs though.

"Come one. Not here" I told him. He lifted his head and gave me a look which I ignored. I grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the direction of my house.


	34. I need to talk to you

We walked back to my house hand in hand not wanting to even think of letting go of each other. What we had just done really opened my eyes. I had never thought of myself to be like that, but when you're in that moment you get carried away. I bet if we were alone someone where and not in public for everyone to see we would have went a lot further. Am I ready for that? No. I'm not. I looked over in Cody's direction to see him deep in thought too. Maybe he's thinking about the same thing that I am. I think I'm going to have to talk with him.

We turned into the driveway and I seen my mums car. That's when it dawned on me, she was working today which meant that she wouldn't have been home when we left. Ugh. I wonder where Adam and Alli told her we had gone.

"Hey mum" I said quickly as we brushed by her and tried to make our way to my room without any questions.

"Hello, Toni. Cody" she gave us a funny look but let us by. "Toni."

I turned to look at her. She had turned around with her hand on her hip. Aww shit I'm in trouble. She looked down at our tangled hands and back up to our faces. I looked to my right where there was a mirror hanging on the wall of the hallway. We looked a mess, bags under our eyes, mused hair and red puffy lips. I bet that didn't look good.

"Can I talk to you for a minute please?" I nodded and let go of Cody's hand and immediately I felt the warmth drain from within me. I gave him a look and he nodded at me and turned to go to our bedroom. I followed mum into hers and she sat down on her bed and patted the side beside her. I really am in trouble.

"What's up?" I asked trying to make it look like I didn't know why she had me here with her.

"Have you got something you'd like to tell me?" she asked boring her gaze into mine.

"Uhh...no. ..I tell you everything. You know that." I said not really sure what she was getting at now.

"Do you fancy telling me why I heard your bed squeaking last night?" she asked. I let out a laugh. She didn't find it funny. Did she seriously think that I would do something like that with her and Adam in the house as well as Cody's little sister.

"Oh well, me and Cody were just messing about." I smirked. I knew she would take this the wrong way.

"Toni Mc Arthur. I thought I raised you right. You've not even known Cody for two weeks and you've already done...I'm not even going to speak to you when I am this angry" she jumped up from the bed and started pacing in front of me. I tried so hard not to laugh.

"Mum, will you calm down. I didn't do that with Cody." I said and let out a little laugh. She stopped and looked at me.

"Why should I believe you? Then why was your bed squeaking?" she asked dumb founded.

"Ewww mum. Gross." I pulled a face.

"Then answer the question Toni." She said.

"Well Cody and I decided that we would give it a shot at being a couple and last night we were just kissing on my bed. He got really annoyed with Alli and Adam wanted to sleep in Adam's room and I was just trying to distract him but at the same time I wanted to kiss him." I babbled trying to get her to understand. She sat there for a minute trying to make sense of it all.

"Well then. There's a lot going on in my house that I didn't know about." She sighed.

"Like what?" I asked stupidly

"Well for a start I didn't know about you and Cody. I didn't know about Adam liking Alli and I didn't know that Alli slept in Adam's room last night" could tell she was annoyed. "I don't like the idea of Alli sleeping in his room"

"Come on mum. You can't exactly tell them no when Cody sleeps with me." I told her and instantly regretted it.

"I know so here's the deal. Whenever Alli is here she stays in your room while Cody goes and sleeps in Adam's room." She xplained.

"Yeah I don't think that'll work." I said slowly.

"why not?" she snapped.

"Adam and Cody aren't really on speaking terms..." I said quickly.

"Why not?" she repeated and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Adam came into our room this morning accusing me and Cody of doing what you thought we did" I explained. "He said that Cody was talking advantage of me cause Adam thought he was seventeen or something and would pressure me."

"Well I'll talk to Adam" she said. "You can go now"

I got up and left her room and went to mine. I opened the door to see a laughing Cody rolling about on my bed.

"What's so funny?" I asked lying down beside him and hitting his chest lightly to get him to stop laughing and tell me what he was laughing at. He didn't stop so I lifted my body up from the bed and straddled him to get him to stop laughing. Once I had sat on his waist he out his hands on my thighs making me tingle. He finally stopped. I gave him a look.

"You are" he said trying not to burst into another laughing fit.

"Why?" I said brows furrowed together.

"Your mum's reaction to your answer" he squeaked out. I hit his chest.

"That was not funny. I was so embarrassed." I could feel my checks heating up again. "I kind of need to talk to you about that" I let out slowly. He stopped laughing and looked at me funny.

"What do you mean?" he asked confused.

God how was I going to do this.


	35. I'm not ready

I could feel my heart start to pound faster and louder. Why did I have to open my big mouth. I didn't even know what I want to say to him.

"Toni, spit it out" Cody whispered. He could tell I was getting nervous and started rubbing hid non casted hand up and down my leg.

"Well I just wanted to tell you that I'm not ready." I said quickly looking anywhere I could as long as it wasn't at him.

"Toni, what are you talking about? Not ready for what?" he asked confused.

"I'm not ready to have sex with you" I whispered so quietly that I didn't think he heard me. He stopped rubbing my leg and took his hand and lifter my chin up so that I was looking into his eyes and sighed.

"What brought this up? Was I being to pushy earlier?" he asked worried that he pushed me too far.

"No you didn't but I was thinking that if we were by ourselves and not in public it could have gone a lot further and I just want to tell you that I'm not ready to go the full way." I whispered not taking my eyes of him. "I just...I don't know. I know that you wouldn't make me but I just want to get things straight."

"I'm not going to pressure you into doing something you don't want to do okay? So if I get too excited or whatever tell me to stop and I will." He soothed me. I lay down so that my head lay on his chest below his head with my legs still on either side of him. He started running his fingers through my hair and I evened my breathing to match his.

"Have I ever told you that you are thee best boyfriend ever?" I asked with a smile.

"You have now" he whispered. I lifted my head to look at him and pecked him on the lips and put my head back down again. We lay there for ages. I found a pen in my bedside locker and started doodling on his cast. It was getting quite full even though I'm the only one who has drawn on it. My phone rang pulling us both out of the bubble we ad been in for the past couple of hours.

"Hello?" I answered not looking at the caller ID cause I was too lazy.

"Toni, come help please. Adams been hurt!" she screeched down the phone. I shoot up from Cody's chest and startled him.

"What's wrong?" he mouthed.

"Calm down" I said trying to get her to calm down enough to speak to me properly. "Where are you?"

"We're somewhere in the forest across from your house" she whimpered.

"Me and Cody are coming okay? Is he badly hurt?" I asked not bothering to ask what happened. I'd find out soon enough. I grabbed Cody's hand yanking him out the door. I didn't have to tell mu where we were going because she was at her second Job anyway.

"What's going on?" Cody asked as I bolted across the busy road almost getting us both ran over.

"Adam's hurt. Alli said they were in here." I said pointing ahead of us into the forest. We burst through the bushes to be met by giant trees. We weaved through them trying to find Adam and Alli.

"Alli? Where are you?" No answer so I ran a little bit more with Cosy on my tail. "Alli?"

"Over here!" I hear about One Hundred metres behind me. Cody ran as fast as he could to where we heard Alli call. I could hear Alli softly crying as I approached the two of them. Adam was sitting up against one of the tree trunks and he looked like he had taken a beaten of someone or something.

"What happened?" I asked as I got up to Cody who had bent down to examined Adam's injuries.

"We were just strolling along here and talking when something just came at us. I don't even know what it was because I landed on the ground and kind of passed out because of the impact. When I woke up I saw Adam looking like this lying on the ground" she whimpered and fell into my arms. She was shivering so I took off my jacket and put it over her shoulders.

"Ouch" Adam winced as Cody pulled strips of his tank top and wrapped them around the wounds on his arms, legs and around his head. Once he was done he pulled what was left of his tank top off and threw it on the ground. I couldn't help but look, it wasn't the right time but all I wanted to do was grab him and never let him go.

"Come on let's go home" I whispered as I lead Alli along with me and Adam got up and put his arm over Cody's shoulders and hoped behind us. We took the long way to the house which meant not crossing the busy road. I was not taking that chance with someone injured and someone in shock.

Once we got in the house I went and made Alli a cup of tea and got her some chocolate, she was going into shock so I had to keep her warm and keep her energy levels up as well as grabbing the first aid kit that my mum kept below the sink. I gave Alli the tea and chocolate and sat her down in the living room where she wouldn't have to see Adam getting tended too. Cody laid him down on the dining room table while I started cleaning him up from all the blood and bandaged his cuts. Once all the blood was washed off it didn't look even half as bad.

"So bro. What happened?" I asked as he sat up and winced.

"I don't know if it was an animal or a person..." he said trying to get things straight in his mind. "It was all a blur"

"Hey, it'sokay. How about we give you time to think and we'll go talk to Alli" I have him a hug and Cody gave him a 'Man hug' after me, I guess this means that he forgives him. We left the room and he went to his bedroom to lay down I guess. We walking into the livingroom and Alli jumped. She wasn't expecting us to come in. I could see the tears stream down her face and Cody rushed over to comfort her.

"I remember who it was" she whimpered.


	36. How could he have done this?

"Who Alli? Who was it that did this to you?" I asked rushing to her as she broke down in tears all over again.

"It was Jake." She barely made a sound as she said it but she fell to her knees and Cody and I fell with her. I was rubbing her back and Cody had his arms around her.

"Who's Jake" I mouthed to Cody, seriously confused.

"One minute" he mouthed back. Who's Jake? Why did he think that it would be okay for him to do that to do that to my brother and Alli? She was basically my little sister. I was going to make this 'Jake' pay.

"Alli, are you sure it was Jake? I mean Jake isn't here. He's in Australia." Cody stated in a soft way. I think he was trying not to make her blow up at him. It didn't work.

"I know what I saw Cody. It was Jake, he ran at Adam and started fighting with him, but he pushed me out of the way first and I landed on the ground and passed out. Not before I saw him though." She explained, her sobs calming. "I know it was him Cody. I know it"

"Alli , honey. I think you should maybe go to sleep. I can tell this has been traumatic, we can all talk about it later when both you and Adam wake up, okay?" I asked. She nodded her head. I took a really good look at her. He usual pin straight blonde hair had gotten all tangled, her perfect make up had been smeared everywhere, her clothes were all dirty, well my clothes but I didn't care as long as she was okay and her smooth clear skin was stained with tears. "Come on and I'll take you to Adam's room."

"I'll be back in a minute" I mouthed to Cody. We both helped her up and she just fell limp into my arms and I basically carried her to Adams room and laid her down beside Adam. She was already asleep by the time her head hit the pillow. I looked at them both laying there. Alli had instinctively rolled into Adams side and he had put his arm over her in his sleep. It was so cute. It had me wondering what Cody and I had against them being together.

I sighed and left the room as quietly as I could and shut the door and made my way back to Cody. I found him back in the livingroom sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands and his leg jiggling up and down. I could tell he was uptight so I climb in behind him on the sofa and knelt down with my legs on either side of him. He jumped as he felt me behind him, he was so wrapped up in his own thoughts he didn't even hear me come in.

"Are you okay?" I asked, concern clear in my voice. I'm so worried about him, he hasn't been stress free once since I meet him. I started rubbing his back and shoulders and immediately felt him relax against my hands.

"Uhhh...not really..." he said.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked not wanting to push him because he would just clam up if I did.

"I just don't see how Jake could do that to Alli? I mean for one he's in Australia. Two he's my best friend and Three...why would he want to hurt her?" he wondered more to himself than to me.

"Are you sure he didn't come over here to see you or something and you just forgot when he was supposed to be here?" I asked trying to think of any plausible explanation of why he would be here.

"I don't remember arranging for him to come here. I haven't really spoke to him since what happened into America. Every time he was he flew in from Australia to America to see me I was always passed out from something and once I woke up I went out to do something so I would pass out again. I guess he only really had Alli to hang out with." I could feel him tense up again as he explained to me. I rubbed harder which seemed to help a little more.

"I don't really know what to say to make you feel better..." I said slowly. That was the truth, I was stumped.

"Why would he even want to hurt her? She never did anything to him." He said through clenched teeth.

"Cody, shhh calm. But if it was him...he hurt Adam more than he hurt Alli" I said.

"I know that. I just don't know why and it's really starting to frustrate me" he clenched his fists at his side. I took my hands off his back and grabbed his hands and put them on my thighs. He flattened them out. I was scared he would hit something if I just left them. He started rubbing them up and down. He started to calm down as I put my head on his shoulders. He turned to look at me and I looked back at him. He kissed my lips, it was short and sweet but it was enough to make my heart pound that little bit harder and faster.

"How about we just forget about it until they wake up?" I suggested. "At least then we will have all of the details and won't be guessing anymore..."

"I guess you're right" he sighed. I was trying to act like the calm one but inside I felt exactly the same way he did. I was worried about Adam, Alli and Cody. I was worried that 'Jake' would come back seeking for more of a fight? Would he fight with Cody and I if we were there? What would we do if that were to happen? All of these questions were whizzing around in my head and to be honest I feared for Adam and Alli's lives.

My thoughts got interrupted as I heard someone knock the door. Cody gave me a look as I got up to see who was there. It couldn't be mum, she was still at work and she would have a key anyway.

"Be careful" he said. At the door stood a blonde guy.

"Uhh..Hi, how can I help you?" I asked. I had a severe case of Deja vu. It was almost the same as the night that Cody showed up at my door.

"Hi, My names Jake" he replied with a smile. My heart stopped. Oh dear God.


	37. Get out

"Cody!" I shouted for him.

"What? What's wrong? Who is it?" he burst through the door but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Jake. His face turned red with anger. "Jake."

"G'day mate" Jake smiled. He looked so innocent standing on my doorstep but if Alli was telling the truth then he was anything but innocent. Wait, Alli is telling the truth. Why would she lie? He moved forward tro try and get in through the door but I wouldn't let him.

"Don't even try to be nice to me" Cody sneered walking closer to the front door. "After what you did to my sister you have no right"

"Dude? What are you talking about? I didn't do anything to your sister? Is she hurt? Is she okay?" Jake asked feigning concern or was it real.

"Don't lie Jake, you hurt her..." Cody was getting angrier. I just got him to calm down and now look. All he seems to be doing these days is getting angry.

"I did not. If anyone is to blame for hurting her it's you dude. You were the one who was always high and drunk leaving Alli to clean up your mess and me if I was there. You basically ditched the both of us and you blame me for hurting her" he was getting angry too.

"Jake, Okay I don't know you but I swear to god if I find out that it was you that hurt Alli and my brother I swear to god I will hunt you down and hurt you." I said. How could he deny this?

"And who are you?" he asked directing his speech to me.

"She's mine" Cody stood beside me and grabbed my hand staring Jake down.

"Come on dude we are best friends. Don't let this bitch get in between us?" Jake stated. Cody lunged towards him. They both fell of the front step and on to the grass at the bottom and started full on fighting. I rushed down there shouting at them to stop.

"Guys stop it! Don't do this in my front garden!" I shouted and tried to pull them apart but it wasn't working. I jumped ontop of Cody and tried with all my strength to pull him away from Jake but this time I succeeded. I looked down to his right arm and noticed that he crushed his cast.

"Inside now!" I shouted at the two of them and pointed towards the door. They both glared at each other but walked into the house. I followed them in too find Alli and Adam standing in the hall looking shocked. Alli jumped back when she saw Jake and stood behind Adam. Jake saw their entwined hands and it looked like someone had just slapped him in the face. Well Cody already did that but you know what I mean.

"What's going on? What is _he _doing here?" Adam asked putting emphasis on the 'he'.

"I came to see my best friend and his sister. You got a problem with that?" Jake spat at him. Adam opened his mouth to answer but I cut him off.

"Enough!" I shouted. "Kitchen now!"

Everyone did as I said. I wanted to get to the bottom of this. Why is Jake really here? Why did he come back if he was the one that hurt Adam and Alli? Why is he acting all innocent when he's clearly not? So many questions and I was going to get answers to them. We all sat at the table and everyone looked at me. I sat down beside Cody to feel him shaking beside me and holding his still broken wrist.

"We can go to the hospital when we're done kay?" I said to him and put my hand on his shoulder. H nodded but didn't take his eyes off Jake.

"Jake explain why you are here, why you hurt my brother and why you came back to deny everything. Do you think we are stupid or something." I said to him. He was silent for a second until I gave him a look that meant 'Answer me now or you will not be able to have children'

"I came to surprise Alli" he stated, trying not to look in her direction beside Adam.

"Then why do you end up hurting her and Adam." Cody Bellowed.

"Would you give me a chance to explain!" he shouted back. "I arranged it with Brad but when I got you your house he told me that both of you were at this address. I told him that I could just wait around until they come back but he said that you wouldn't back for a while and gave me the address to this house. I dumped my stuff in your room and caught a cab over here.

"I didn't expect to see you" he pointed to Adam "all snuggled up with Alli walking along the road. I got so angry seeing you with her. So I followed you into the forest but my anger took over me. I couldn't help myself. Seeing you with the girl that's supposed to be mine." Jake was getting more and more upset as he spilled his feelings out in front of everyone. "I charged at you. I made sure that I didn't Alli though. Only you. That should be me!"

"That does not give you a reason to injure my brother!" I screamed at him standing up. He cowered away from me as I took big breaths to calm myself down.

"I swear I had no intention of doing it. It just happened." He whimpered.

"I don't get it though." Cody wondered aloud "You've never felt this way before..."

"The whole time when you rebelled me and Alli got really close. After all we were all we had when you came back a mess." Jake told him.

"Jake get out" Alli whispered not looking at him. "Just leave"

Jake got up from the table and pushed the chair back until it hit the ground and stomped his way out of my house. I let out a big sigh when I heard the door bang shut.

"Right, Cody we need to go to the hospital" I got up and got his jacket and helped put it on him. "You guys will be okay here yourself?"

"Yeah we'll just go watch a movie in my room" Adam said pulling Alli along with him. I felt Cody stiffen beside me. After all of that he still isn't okay about them.

"Go" I pushed him towards the front door and we caught a taxi to the hospital. We were silent the whole way there. I've never realised it before but if you make on bad mistake in our life it will never go away. It'll always come back to haunt you.


	38. Are you okay?

We didn't tell the driver which hospital to go to and of course he went to the one furthest away. The one that mum worked at. Meaning 1. We'd have to pay him more money and 2. We'd have to explain to mum what happened.

"Here you go" I handed the driver a twenty and told him to keep the change. I turned to Cody who was waiting for me a couple of metres away. "So how are we going to explain this to mother?"

"What? Mum works here too?" Wait, he called her mum...oh yeah. I guess I'll have to get used to that.

"Uhh...Yeah." I said.

"Well I guess we can just say that either you or Adam fell on top of me when we were mucking around or something..." he thought out loud.

"Yeah, I guess that could work." I whispered as we walked through the main entrance. Cody was still worried. I could see the little frown lines on his head and his eyes were quite distant as if he was thinking about something. Which is most likely Jake, he has always got so much to think about. Maybe if he went home it would be easier for him. I mean he's never going to feel at home in my house. I've seen the way he acts when he's there. To him it'll never be a home and that's how he's going to treat. I'll have to talk to mum later.

We found one of the nurses in the fracture clinic and told her our 'story'. She bought it and told us to go wait in some room and a nurse would be there to re-cast Cody's arm. Cody sat down on the one chair that was in the room and patted his knee. I hesitated cause I didn't want to hurt him.

"Come on Toni, I'm not a china doll." He laughed at my hesitation. I eventually told myself that I wouldn't break him and went over to sit on his knee. I sat down on him sideways and put my arms around his neck as he put his non-injured arm around my waist.

"Does it hurt again?" I asked him out of interest and concern.

"Little bit, I've probably re-broke it. Which means more time with a cast." He sighed. "I hate it so much, do you think if I asked for a brace they'd let me have it instead?"

"I dunno..." I said suddenly really tired. It was like eight o'clock in the evening and we had gotten up early. All I wanted to do was sleep. Surprisingly we hadn't seen mum about anywhere, I guess she must be busy which means we have no explaining to do.

"Hello there, I'm Melissa and I'll be putting a new cast on your arm toda –Cody? Toni?" mum walked into the room not realising it was us. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah were fine." Cody recited the story that we told the other nurse.

"What were you doing so that Toni fell on top of you?" She asked with one raised eyebrow.

"Oh my God mum. Are you seriously asking that question? We were tickling each other okay!" I stated.

"If you say so." She sounded different, she sounded far away. I looked into her eyes and I saw the worry but she quickly covered it up.

"So Cody same colour?" she asked getting a bandage ready to put on his arm and making sure there was enough of the stuff.

"I was actually wondering if I could get a brace?" He asked quietly. He could sense that she was not in a good mood. "I hate having a cast. It's so awkward and I can't even wash right with it on"

"Let me see your arm then." He set it up on the bench thingy and mum started prodding it. I hadn't really looked at it but seeing it now it was all bruised and still swollen. "Well I guess I could give you a brace as long as you promise to only take it off when you get a shower."

"Of course" He replied all smiley. She handed him a brace and showed him to take it on and off properly so as to not jostle his wrist too much.

"That should be you two finished." She said plastering a smile on her face. I knew it was false.

"Mum can I talk to you?" I asked.

"Not now Toni I'm working" She snapped at me and slammed something down on the table and gave out a big sigh. "I'm sorry, we can talk when I come home okay. I'll be there in a couple of hours."

Cody said goodbye to her and we left. What is her problem? Is she okay? Is the stress of having Cody and Alli in our house getting to her? Wait Alli doesn't live with us. She may as well though she's been here for the past four days. Maybe Cody and Alli really should go home. I don't think she can handle it, but I don't want them to go home. I'd be so lost at night without having Cody in my bed.

Both Cody and I went straight home and went straight to bed. I was so tired that I couldn't function right. I'll just have to talk to mum in the morning.


	39. Save Water and Shower with me

I woke up the next morning with the sun streaming in the window. Guess I forgot to close the curtains last night, I looked to my side to see Cody still snoring softly the crease lines prominent on his forehead. Even in his sleep he looks stressed. Wait, I have school today. I bolted from the bed making sure not to wake Cody ran from my room only to collide with mum in the hall.

"Wait, mum what are you doing here? Why am I not at school? Where are Adam and Alli?" I sat up straight so that I could look at her. She lifted herself from the ground and held her hands out to help me up. I gladly took them and heaved myself from the ground. I felt all achy and sore but I don't even know why. I opened my mouth to ask mummy more questions but she turned on her heel and walked into the kitchen putting the kettle on. I followed her and watched her as she walked. She had a smile plastered on her face that I knew wasn't real and she looked jittery almost as if something bad was going to happen.

"Well? Aren't you going to answer my questions?" I asked in a duh voice as I leaned against the door frame watching her scurry around the kitchen gathering the stuff needed to make tea and breakfast. She set the mugs and that down on the bench a little to hard.

"I decided to let you and Cody have the day off. Cody doesn't really need school with the changes in his life and as well as a broken arm. Adam and Alli went to their own school and I decided to quit my morning Job." She said all in one breathe in a sing song voice which was also fake. There was definitely something wrong with her but what?

"Cody can handle a broken arm mum, you made me still go to school when I broke mine and since when do you let me skip school at all? I mean I don't have a reason to be off." Although I wouldn't have went anyway if I knew Cody was staying off.

"Well you make Cody happy and right now that's all he needs." She let out a shaky sigh and her smile faltered for a split second. The toaster popped and the kitchen smelled of the light aroma of cinnamon bagels. What did she think she was doing by quitting her Job? We need the money. I know that since Cody gave us that money that nearly got Alli to kill us has helped but what about when it runs out and Cody goes back to his old house? What are we going to do then? I was about to argue with her that what Cody needs is normal life so that he can feel normal but he popped his head around the corner.

"Mmhhh Bagels" Cody barged into the kitchen to get some before they cooled down too much.

"Take as many as you like dear, there's plenty here." Mum answer Cody. He looked at her and then looked at me noticing that she was being very happy and knowing for himself that she isn't a morning person. She handed me my tea and my plate full of bagels as well as giving me a look. I guess she doesn't want to talk about it in front of Cody. I rolled my eyes and went back to my room and got back under the duvet to eat my breakfast. Cody followed me in and sat on the bed too and began eating.

"So what's up with mum?" Cody asked. I had been silent while eating just thinking about her.

"Huh? What do you mean nothings wrong?" I smiled and tried to make him believe me as I took another mouth full of bagel.

"Toni. You can't fool me. Don't think I didn't hear you and mum arguing before I walked into the kitchen." I still have to get used to him calling her mum. "I saw the look that she gave you, I saw the way she looked overly happy, she's not at work, we're not at school and you haven't said one word to me all morning. So, What's wrong?"

"Honestly Cody if I knew I'd tell you" I sighed maybe sounding a bit blunt but right at that moment I didn't care. I just wanted to know that mum was okay. I set my plate on the floor beside my bed and lay down.

"oh no. You are not staying in bed all day come on. Go get a shower and get dressed cause we're going out." He said too enthusiastically.

"No, I'm tired. Sleep needs me" I groaned.

"Come on Toni. You know you want to see my nice toned abs." I had my head buried in the pillow but I knew he would have a smirk no his face. I took the pillow from beneath my head and smacked him with it. He started chuckling.

"I already get to see them dumbass. You don't wear a shirt to bed." I knew he wasn't wearing one right now because I did have a quick look when he walked into the kitchen this morning. Don't Judge, he's my boyfriend. I can do it if I want. I felt him get of the bed and come around to my side.

"Toni, you've got three seconds to get out of that bed. 1...2-"

"What if I don't?" I asked smiling.

"Well then you'll not get a kiss from me for a little while" he smiled.

"Who says I want to kiss you anyway?" I asked.

"Oh it's on" he grabbed the pillow that I threw at him and he hit me with it. I pulled the other pillow towards me and hit him back. Soon we were having a full on pillow fit but the only problem was, my pillow were feather pillows so it wasn't long until there were feathers flying everywhere. We both collapsed onto the bed laughing so hard it hurt. I heard my door open and our laughing stopped. Mum's gunna shit herself when she sees this.

"Oh" she said as she walked in the door. We were all quiet.

"We'll clean it up now mum, come help me Toni" Cody said and went to get up.

"No no, it's okay Cody" she said after a while "Go get ready and I'll clean it up"

Cody looked at me as my mum when to get the hoover. 'What?' he mouthed to me. I shrugged and made my way to the bathroom with my clothes. Cody followed me and put the toilet seat down and sat on it.

"Uhh, what do you think you're doing." I asked.

"Watching my girlfriend shower" he replied in a Duh tone.

"I don't think so! Get out!" I screeched and pointed to the door.

"Please let me stay in here. I'm scared that if I go out there she'll start smothering me with kisses and hugs." That made me laugh. "What happened to being Eco-friendly and saving water?"

I gave him a blank look. What was he on about?

"Shower with me?" he smirked again "Come on Toni, it's not like I haven't seen you anyway"

"That is not the point" I stated. He looked at me and I gave in. "I'm not showering with you but you can stay here but I swear to god Cody If you look at me I will chop your balls off."

"Fine by me" he said and turned around on the toilet to look out the window which was behind it. He wouldn't se much though, it was frosted glass. A messy haze that almost resembled my mum at the minute.


	40. I Hope you behaved

A/N: Okay so a lot of readers have been asking me to write some R rated content for this story so I thought I'd maybe give it a go. I didn't want it to sound trashy or anything and I hope it doesn't sound like that to you guys. It's not a lot I know but I was just trying it out. Hope you guys like it.

P.S Don't give me hate because of this. It will just be ignored.

"You really need to stop doing that" Cody said to me for the fifth time as I continued to pull threads in the cushion of the sofa. We were both sat the way we always do and were just talking about meaningless stuff as the music channel played on the TV.

"Why?" I asked with a smirk poking his leg with my foot.

"What if your mum sees it?" He looked at me, I looked down at the cushion and realised that I'd basically ruined it. I didn't purposely try to do it, I'm just worried. Worried about mum. Worried about Adam and Alli. Worried about Cody. Just Worried.

"Eh she'll get over it" I shrugged.

"I guess but seriously Toni. She seems on edge right now. I get the feeling that anything will push her over the edge and I just don't want that to happen." He confessed looking away. I'm glad she was at work I don't think I could handle anymore of her fake smile. She looked like a nervous wreck and I didn't even know why.

"I know what you mean." I whispered.

"It's also like she's scared that if she says or does the wrong thing I'm going to break." He continued " It's not like her"

Cody hasn't been here for a long but he fits right into the family. Of course he'd notice when something was wrong. I sighed, I guess trying to act like nothing was wrong wasn't working. I feel like this family is going to fall apart at any moment and I can't do anything about. I grabbed both of Cody's hands in mine and he looked at me, he could see the tears brimming in my eyes threatening to overflow and he pulled me down on top of his chest as I began to Sob. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I was so worried about everyone and it just kept building up inside me.  
Cody just soothed me and rubbed comforting circles into my back.

"Shhh" he told me "Everything's going to be okay"

But I didn't know if that was true. I just wanted to forget about everything just for a couple of hours. I smash my lips into his, it surprises him but he soon melts into the kiss. I can feel him holding back but I want more, I tangle my hand into his hair as he fingers the strip of skin between my t-shirt and my shorts. He leaves a trail of fire everywhere he touches me leaving my skin burning. I moan. I've never felt this good before, no one has every made me feel the way Cody does. He makes me feel alive and I haven't felt like that since my granda died.

I could feel Cody getting more and more into it. I slowly pushed his shirt up his stomach and lightly ran my fingers down his abs. I felt him shudder beneath me and that pleasured me, to know that I had the same effect on him as he did on me. He pulled away from my lips to let me breath but he planted small sweet kisses down my neck and along my collar bone. Each kiss was like a zap of electricity that reached the tips of my fingers and the ends of my toes. I took this as a chance to pull his shirt of him and it ended up halfway across the room.

"I love You Toni" he'd whisper over and over to me making me feel loved and I'd reply "I Love you too Cody, So much"

I pulled his lips back to mine as I straddled his waist and started to grind him. He groaned a pushed my shirt up my stomach until it was bunched up below my boobs. He pulled away to look at me, asking me if it was okay to carry on. I could see the lust in his eyes and in that moment all I wanted to do was make him happy. I nodded my head and pulled my shirt of to reveal my childish polka dot bra. I didn't care though. I fell back to Cody's lips and his hands ran along the strap of my bra leaving me wanting more and more. I dragged his hands around to where the hooks where and he started to undo them as I undid his belt.

He got it off and it landed in the same corner that his shirt landed and his belt along with it. He grabbed my ass and I couldn't take it anymore so I brought his lips back to mine. I tugged at the belt loops of his trousers and brought them down and he kicked them off. I sat on top of him just staring at his face, we we're both out of breath our chest heaving up and down heavily. I ran my hands a long the waistband of his boxers and me involuntary let out a small groan. I could feel that below me he was hard and pressing against my centre. It made me want more.

This made me realise just how far this had gotten. Did I want to go any further than this? I did but at the same time I didn't. Even if I didn't I couldn't just leave him there frustrated. I took the waistband in both of my hands and slowly pulled it down. The anticipation was killing him, I got them down far enough and it sprang free. I was nervous, I'd never done anything like this before and I was scared that I wouldn't do it right. Cody noticed my hesitation.

"Toni, it's okay. You don't have to do this if you don't want to..." he soothed me. I didn't think I could answer so I took it into my hand and began. He moaned from what I was doing so I took that as a sign to keep going. I could feel the pleasure radiating off him making me feel just as good to know that it was me that was making him feel that way.

"Please don't stop" he moaned. I kept going, harder and faster until I felt his whole body go stiff and he came. I found it hilarious so I began laughing uncontrollably. I know that sounds immature but I couldn't believe that I'd given my first hand job, it made me feel older. He laughed along with me as I lay down on his chest breathing heavily and overcome with tiredness. I looked at the time.

"Shit! Cody, Mum will be home any minute" I shot up from him and grabbed his clothes and threw them at him, putting my own clothes on as quickly as I could. We had both just about finished getting dressed and sat down the sofa the way we normally did and she walked trough the front door and came into the living room to greet us.

"Hey kids" she said too cheerfully.

"Hey mum, how was work?" I asked trying to sound as if I wasn't out of breath. I could feel Cody still shaking beside me and hoped that he wouldn't open his mouth.

"It was good" she replied looking at us funny. Shit she knows that something is up. "I hope you two behaved yourself."

We both burst out laughing.


End file.
